


B-Sides

by EspadaIV, JKRobertson



Category: Bleach
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Music, Angst, Angst and Drama, Blackmail, Consonance and Dissonance series spin-off, Conspiracies, Couple goals, Couples Counseling, Dishonesty, Dogs, Dom Ulquiorra, Dom/sub Play, Domestic Bliss, Domestication, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Gossip, Light Dom/sub, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Multi, Music Industry AU, Musicians, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Polyamory, Pregnancy Kink, Rags to Riches, Revenge, Romance, ShuRan, Sub Orihime, Sugar Baby Rangiku, Sugar Daddy Gin, Toxic Relationships, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vaginal Sex, adult friendships, byaran, gentle domme Orihime, ginran - Freeform, gossip vlogger, grimmichi/oc, loyalty issues, sub ulquirra, submissive Orihime, submissive Ulquiorra, ulquihime, vlogger - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:49:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 62
Words: 317,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26095879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EspadaIV/pseuds/EspadaIV, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKRobertson/pseuds/JKRobertson
Summary: A spin off of the Consonance and Dissonance series, this story begins several months after Ulquiorra and Orihime's wedding.Shuhei Hisagi's stagnant life revolves around his dead-end job, his dog, and his pushy live-in girlfriend.  Things come to a head when she wants to take their relationship to the next level and Shuhei realizes this is not the life he wants.  He leaves, gets stranded on the road, and in a drunken haze, reaches out to the last person who touched his life and made it shine: the newly christened Mrs. Orihime Cifer.Orihime comes through for her old friend and, much to her husband's initial dismay, introduces him to her gossip vlogger friend, Rangiku Matsumoto, who has also reached a plateau in her career and personal life.  Feeling pressure from her patron, Gin Ichimaru, she goes digging for dirt around the Cifers and their new houseguest, and ends up getting more than she bargained for.(Non-con warning is for referenced assault, not actively described. It occurs in Chapter 40.)
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo/Original Female Character(s), Hisagi Shuuhei/Matsumoto Rangiku, Ichimaru Gin/Matsumoto Rangiku, Kuchiki Byakuya/Matsumoto Rangiku, Ulquiorra Cifer/Inoue Orihime
Comments: 52
Kudos: 22





	1. Not Quite Your Best Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've tried to reference the most relevant parts of the Consonance and Dissonance series in this chapter, which is a prequel to this story. Although we highly recommend reading CaD first, it is rather long and we understand if you just don't have the time. So if at any point in reading this story that you have any questions because you didn't read it, please feel free to ask in the comments.

Shuhei came home from work tired and cranky. “I’m home,” he sighed, surprised that the dog was not waiting at the door for him. “Shy? Mo?”

When neither his dog nor his live-in girlfriend answered, he took off his shoes and entered the dimly lit dining room. As his eyes adjusted, he saw his girlfriend, at least. Momo had prepared some dinner that she seemed proud of, looking down at it and raising her brows as if to suggest that he should be impressed. She had lit some candles. She had poured some wine.

He hated the kind of wine she liked.

He pressed his eyes shut and took a slow breath. It would be a dick move to make an issue of it.

“So, Babe, I have something I want to talk to you about. Take a seat,” Momo said. She never asked. She always dictated to him. And today, like always, he did what she wanted, pulling out the chair to sit across from where she stood. 

“This looks good. Looks like you pulled out all the stops, Mo. What’s the occasion?” he asked, picking up silverware and getting ready to dig in.

“Uh-uh, no, Shu. We’ll toast first,” she demanded, nostrils flaring slightly and brow lowering a fraction of an inch before she raised her wine glass and waited for him to do the same. When he finally complied, she smiled and said, “Today marks our two year anniversary of living together. I made this dinner to celebrate. To us. To our love. To our future.” She raised her glass to her mouth and watched with unbroken focus as Shuhei mirrored the action. She didn’t miss his slight flinch when she said the word “love”.

He had never told her he loved her, because he didn’t.

Momo was undeterred, though. She had a plan. They made small talk through the meal and when it was over, she walked into the kitchen and brought out a chocolate cake. On it, in white icing, she had written the words, “Will You Marry Me?”

He was so shocked that he didn’t even swallow the bite in his mouth before he sputtered an incredulous chuckle, shook his head, knit his brows, and replied, “No.” 

He had to tell her the truth. Glasses were thrown. The tiny brunette slapped and screamed and threw his clothes off the balcony. “It’s that bitch, Vega, isn’t it? Isn’t it!?” she shrieked as a pair of his boots went sailing down to the grass below. 

Shuhei gathered his vinyl collection into a laundry basket and stashed it in the hallway before she had a chance to launch it after the majority of his footwear. “No! It’s you!” Shu shouted back in a softer volume, trying not to upset the dog that was currently whining on the other side of the closed office door. “You keep pushing! You keep pushing something that isn’t there! Even if there had been a chance for my feelings to grow into love, we’d never know because you never let me fucking be myself!” he growled, approaching the diminutive woman. 

“That’s because you never even gave us a chance. Look at you, Shuhei! You’re a loser with a shit job who’s hung up on some big-titted ginger whore who wouldn’t even give you the time of fucking day! She never wanted you!!”

“I FUCKING KNOW THAT, MO! I know that! That’s not what this is about! Look at this place!” he shouted, gesturing around the room and not caring about the dog at this point. “You’d never even know I live here! You came into my place and took over! You never gave a shit about me or how I felt about anything! I hate that!” he spat, pointing to a rustic-looking wagon wheel she had hung over the television. “And that!” he said, swinging his arm to the spot over the couch that was home to a print of wild horses grazing on a dusty plain with an inspirational quote laid over the image. “I hate all this shit!"

“Oh, well, if that’s how you feel, you can get the fuck out and stay out!” Momo screamed.

“This is my place!”

“You just said you don’t live here. GET OUT!” Momo lunged at him, fists beating against his arms and chest. When she got tired of that, she started finding whatever remained of his possessions and started destroying them amidst Shuhei’s protests.

After a few hours of this, Momo told him she was going out for a drink and when she got back, he had better be gone. Once she left, Shu broke down. He couldn’t take this. This was not a life. This was an existence. He let the dog out of the office and bade her a teary farewell. He packed his undamaged things and threw them in the back of his hatchback and got on the freeway heading west. He drove for hours and hours with no destination in mind.

Momo was wrong! He wasn’t in love with Orihime. It had been at least three years since they had last spoken! Besides, he’d seen the entertainment news. She had gotten married to that asshole from ObscurasIV right before the new year. Orihime Inoue-rather, Orihime Cifer-wasn’t the problem between Shuhei and Momo.

Was she?

As he drove, he thought about everything. How the hell had things ended up like this? 

His face fell as he realized he had been so desperate to get out of the situation that he forgot to say goodbye to his mother. Shelly Petersen always did the best by him. She deserved better than a phone call whenever he got to wherever he was going.

Shelly never married Shu’s father, who left them when Shuhei was only a few months old with nothing but his name. No pictures, no keepsakes, no memories. That was alright with Shu. His mom was the moon in the sky to him. She made sure there was food on their table. She made sure there were clothes on his back. She even made sure he could afford his basketball uniform and rented him a trumpet when he wanted to join band in middle school.

The only early male influences in Shu’s life were his Uncle Ken and his grandfather. They showed him how to repair cars and do basic household maintenance. They were rough around the edges, though, and introduced him to some morally gray people. Ken drank a lot and gave Shu his first beer at age fifteen, followed shortly thereafter with his first cigarette. He also gave Shu his first guitar and started teaching him some chords. They would hang out in his garage with Ken’s friends and drink and play and sing. 

When Ken died in a crash, Shu’s grandfather followed shortly thereafter. Shuhei was sixteen, lonely, and fell into a group of people that his mother would not have approved of, had she known who they were. That’s when he met Momo, Ikkaku, and Pesche. Pesche _was_ an idiot, as his kid sister Nelliel often liked to say. He was good at attracting people to him, for unknown reasons, but he attracted the wrong sorts of people. The bad habits Shu had picked up from Uncle Ken only grew worse. He started partying and dabbling in recreational drugs. He found himself in a couple of relationships that ended due to him getting intoxicated and careless. 

It wasn’t until he was kicked off the high school basketball team because of poor grades that he cared about anything again. His mother sat him down and threatened that if he didn't pull himself together and at least get his grades up enough to graduate, she would never forgive him. It was harsh, but it had been what he needed to hear. 

After he graduated from high school, Shu had no direction. He enjoyed the freedom of that life, though. No authority, no mom on his case, no girlfriend riding his ass for being unambitious. Sure, he had girl friends who were down to fuck from time to time when they were partying, but no relationship.

It wasn’t enough for Pesche, though. He wanted to expand on his small after-market drug sales. When Shu was let go from his job at the gas station because he had gotten drunk and came to work with a face tattoo, he was hard up for cash. He didn't ask any questions when Pesche handed him a parcel and an address and said if he dropped it off at a friend’s house, there would be fifty bucks in it for him. Shu had nodded, gotten into a car, and driven to the address provided.

The address was one belonging to the county sheriffs. The next car he got into was a squad. He served two years in county jail, and his only visitors were his heartbroken mother, his best friend, Kira, and that obnoxious Renji guy who used to hang out with Uncle Ken. Renji would bring his tacky red man-bun in on visiting days and talk to Shuhei about Pesche’s kid sister’s boyfriend, who was his boss’s son and in college.

Renji seemed to think Shu and Ulquiorra would get along. They were both into the music thing. Shu remembered Nel’s green-eyed boyfriend. He was quiet and weird. Shuhei wasn’t sure about him, and blew Renji off.

When he got out of jail, Shu agreed that it was time to change things up. Renji set him up with a job at the bakery run by Ulquiorra’s father. Jon Cifer was a good guy, if a bit of a hardass. Shu was grateful and did a good job. He played guitar at home, alone. He kept his head down. He wanted his mom to be proud of him again. She had a boyfriend and things were going well for her, so he had a lot to live up to. Rich was an okay guy, if kind of boring. He seemed to treat his mother well.

When that little red-haired girl started at the coffee shop attached to the bakery, Shu knew he was in trouble. She was so sad. She was so sweet. She was kind to him and treated him like a regular person, not some loser ex-con with face tattoos, even though that is exactly what he was. He fell for Orihime Inoue hard and fast, and couldn’t believe his luck when she asked if they could record some music together. They sounded awesome and started getting attention on YouTube. Suddenly Shu’s world seemed a lot bigger and brighter. 

If only Orihime had seen him as more than just a music buddy. She was way too hung up on her ex. When she asked if they could be roommates and they planned a trip down to Texas to visit some of his old crew and play at South by Southwest, he thought things might have been turning in his favor. He was sure that this trip would make her see him as someone she could be with.

He was wrong. She told him it wasn’t going to happen before they even left. Then they got there and that fuckface Ulquiorra decked him the first night, leaving him with a black eye. That asshole thought he could walk all over Orihime and she would just come running back at the drop of a hat.

Technically, he wasn’t wrong. That burned. That’s when Momo came into the picture. She had always had a crush on him, and she was cute. Shu wondered, if he let her into his life, maybe something special could grow between them.

Obviously that didn't happen.

Several months after Momo and her ragtag group of friends from Austin moved back to Ohio and pooled their resources to buy the bakery and coffee shop from Jon Cifer, Momo moved in with Shu. They made a go of it. At first it was nice. They had enough physical chemistry to have a healthy sex life and they enjoyed hanging out together. But over time, it became clear to Shu that it was not enough. He wanted the kind of spark in his life that he had felt for Orihime. He did not feel that way about Momo, and she knew.

He was an idiot. He should have never let things with Momo go on as long as they had. Now he was just a jobless, homeless loser with nothing going for him.

Shuhei’s thoughts were a mess when he crossed into Iowa and noticed his car was starting to run hot. He pulled into a gas station and saw it; the crack in the radiator. He bought enough coolant to get him to a motel without the car overheating. He bought a case of beer. The car wasn’t worth the cost of repairs, he knew. He didn't have a lot of money or options. He just wanted to wallow in his misfortune.

So he did. He drank beer all night and into the morning, and in the early that afternoon, completely blitzed, he called Orihime.

He didn't remember any of this. 

He woke up the next morning to a driver pounding at his motel room door and a ticket to Los Angeles in his email. How this happened, he had no idea, but he was relieved to see a short redhead waiting for him with a hug at the airport, even if she had a scowly husband at her side.

“Don’t worry, you can stay in one of the guest rooms for as long as you need,” Orihime said, taking one of his bags. “I hope you like dogs, though.”

“I love dogs,” the tattooed man replied with an awkward smile, then looked at Ulquiorra. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Ulquiorra said nothing but gave Shuhei a sort of tight lipped smile. “Good, because while you’re staying with us, you’ll be expected to walk them every day.”

Orihime smiled at her husband and took out her phone. If Shuhei was going to be starting over in California, he needed to make connections. Connections to people who knew people; people who knew the town and the players. She knew just who to reach out to.

**Orihime:** Hey Ran! We’re having a BBQ at our house next weekend. We have a guest who is new in town and needs to make some friends. Think you can make it? On the 16th. LMK!

***

“... Obscuras four!”

That was Rangiku’s crowning moment. The moment she gave the dark-haired, green-eyed man his award for whatever he won was her push into the spotlight. She got more views on her videos. She got more subscribers. Everyone seemed to know who she was.

Rangiku had been so excited-and actually screamed after the phone call-when someone from the Recording Academy asked her to present it. After she freaked out, she called her posse. The group call was loud and everyone was screaming with her. Then she calmed down. Things needed to be planned.

Shinji and Rose helped with picking out items she needed or wanted. Gin paid for it, as he should. He escorted her on the red carpet to the event. She did the thing. She smiled and she preened.

She was fucking brilliant!

Of course there were offers for people wanting to give her a job. Gin helped her by getting a management company to filter the offers.

He was a good guy… 

Sometimes…

Occasionally…

Fine, Gin was a douchebag, but he was a rich one and was generous when it came to Rangiku’s needs. He gave her a step up in the social media world. He gave her dirt on his signed artists and other people that he knew in this big vast celebrity world.

But there was something about the man that just rubbed her the wrong way. He was bossy. He had a peculiar accent. He would go weeks without calling her. He’d never text her to see how she was doing. Every month that money would be in her bank account whether she fucked Gin or not. 

She was a permanent fixture around Espada Records, enjoying being around Gin. Well, she enjoyed being around him before Sousuke Aizen came along. Gin told her that he had been part of the record company since its early days. He came and went as he pleased. When the incident happened, he had a contract for an album or something.

Rangiku didn’t know. She didn’t care. The guy had money and that’s what she needed to survive. She was human, though, and no one deserved what had happened to her.

Gin told her that things like that happened in Los Angeles. If she wanted to make a fuss, do so. If not, get on with life. It was whatever. Aizen ruined everything for any future suitors; whoever became lucky enough for her to show interest in, which never happened.

The blonde woman was a flirt. She wanted love. She wanted validation. She wanted all the attention. She felt like she should be worshiped and adored. She did not want to return all of that stuff, though. That required effort. It required opening her emotionally narrowed world to others. It required letting that mask of perfection drop.

Boy, was she fucking disappointed after her first attempt at a relationship. It failed spectacularly.

Rangiku pouted as Gin just laughed at her. “This isn’t funny,” she said.

“Oh, darlin’ it’s hilarious. How do you think relationships work? Ran, you’re a young, hot piece of ass but you’re vapid as hell. Sorry,” Gin said, before leaving the naked blonde in his bed.

She wasn’t dumb. She was intelligent. People just took one look at her and assumed she was all boobs. She had gotten comments about how she should do porn; she had the body for it. Rangiku would always shake her head. She had tried that once.

It was while she was in college to make a few bucks. 

Would she like to pose naked? Sure, as long as her face wasn’t shown.

Would she fuck another guy? See answer above.

Would she fuck another female? See answer above and the other woman had to look attractive.

Rangiku had standards. She needed beautiful things in her life. She needed to be surrounded by beauty and luxury. Gin provided that. He had been doing so ever since she left her six months stint in college. 

It wasn’t for her.

_It’s Ran!_ began to run. Her and her close group of friends decided to make it a thing. Two videos a week. As her fanbase became larger, Rangiku began to do more videos. She got into internet cat fights with other YouTube stars. She was seen at parties and openings. Then the thing of a century fell into her lap.

She was the first one to reveal who Obscuras IV was. She felt bad about it, because the kid was just trying to do his thing and his bitchy green-haired ex-girlfriend wanted to ruin him. It wasn’t her fault that the YouTube musician kept her in juicy gossip.

People took note of her, especially after the OIV sex scandal. That video sent her into being a household name with every teenager on the planet. 

At least the basic, pumpkin spice, Kylie Jenner wannabe ones.

She kept tabs on the young star and his girlfriend-- ex-girlfriend? She didn’t know. The two seemed off and on like a lightswitch. It was through Orihime, aka Vega Highwell, that she found Shuhei Hisagi and the blond guy. They were okay if a little rough around the edges.

After her OIV exposé, Rangiku knew she was onto bigger and better things. She had proven to social media that she wasn’t just an airhead. She could do journalism. 

It just so happened that she landed there. It wasn’t reporting the news every night, but she began to be seen on camera.

The Grammys happened. The OIV wedding happened. She was scheduled to do an in-depth interview with Orihime Cifer about the whole Aizen thing. That interview never came out on her YouTube channel. Instead, the two women shared stories of what happened with Aizen. 

Rangiku admitted to the small redhead what Aizen had done to her. Besides Gin, Orihime was the only one that knew.

Of course the woman tried to comfort her, but Rangiku smiled and just shrugged it off. “That’s life,” she said with a broad smile. It didn’t make the announcement that Sousuke Aizen would probably die in prison any less jubilant.

She wanted to thank Orihime personally for the woman finally putting the creep behind prison walls, but she didn’t.

Rangiku was an island. She barely reached out to people. She told herself she didn’t need to rely on anyone. God was she wrong. She was in denial and she knew it.

She relied on Gin for money when she was almost broke from shopping. She also relied on him for dirt on people.

She relied on her team to do their part to make her look good. Rose edited her videos. Lisa, Shinji, and Hiyori helped her look for gossip fodder and then wade through the bullshit. Akon helped her with all the tech stuff.

That was her social circle. To the public eye, it was much larger, but in reality, everyone outside of those five people were just ships passing in the night to Rangiku. Even her own parents weren’t close to her.

It was hard to be close and loving to a parent when they disapproved of everything you did. That was another whatever in the books. They were in New York City and Rangiku was in Los Angeles, living her best life.

At least that’s what she thought. That is what she made herself believe.

It worked… Kind of.

As she ran on her treadmill next to Shinji, the blonde woman knew she needed something new in her life. Something different.

She needed someone there to cut through her bullshit.

Her phone dinged and the screen showed she had a text from Orihime Cifer. She was definitely someone who saw through the vlogger’s bullshit. She decided to make a note to call her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, and just to reiterate, don't worry about asking for any info if you didn't read the prequel to this story. We'd be glad to give you the background if you need it.


	2. Horse

“Shinji, I know. Can you get me the details?” Rangiku asked as she applied her makeup. There were rumors that the Cifers had another lover, but the blonde didn’t want to stir the shit pot. Orihime didn’t seem like the type of woman to have more than one man in her life. She wasn’t like that at all. “I’m not going to just ask Orihime, hey, you were seen with that one guy again, fucking both him and your husband?”

“Maybe they were seen together because they’re all recording songs? They’ve done it once, it could happen again,” the man on the other end of the line said.

“Ulquiorra hates people. He hates me. He hates that one guy and they’ve been friends forever,” Rangiku replied. She sighed and just looked at herself in the lighted mirror as Shinji started cackling. “What?”

“Dude, you laid out his entire life and relationships on the internet for everyone to see. I’m surprised he lets you talk to his wife.”

With that, the woman rolled her eyes and hung up on her friend/stylist. Gin told her that the Cifers had a guest and that guest was a former love interest of Orihime’s. Apparently Ulquiorra had been in the studio with Obscuras IV bitching about it. How long had he been there now? Two weeks? Three?

There were no actual pictures of the trio out and about, but she had to wonder… Oh fuck it. Rangiku decided to call Orihime. Hopefully the singer would be available to talk.

It was surprising when she picked up her phone to see that she had an incoming phone call from the woman in question. Orihime didn't wait for a greeting before cheering, “Ran! Guess what?”

The redhead was loud. Rangiku had to hold the phone away from her ear. When Orihime was done yapping, she put the phone back in its position. “Orihime! Darling, I was about to call you! What am I guessing?”

“Hailey is having a girl!!! Can you believe it? She’s going to be so cute!” Orihime whined. Her friend had only grown more beautiful and content as her pregnancy with Ichigo had progressed, and Orihime had been getting ideas of her own, which Ulquiorra had been quick to shoot down. Instead, she was living vicariously through the other woman. “She said you could be the first to know. Also, like I texted you earlier, we’re having a barbecue next weekend. What I didn’t mention in my text is that our new houseguest desperately needs to branch out. Shockingly, Rukia doesn’t like him. I thought she was his type, but apparently he doesn’t like anyone who reminds him of his ex, either…”

Rangiku smiled. Hailey was a nice woman, if a bit wallflowerish for her tastes. “That’s really exciting news,” she said, grabbing a notebook and pen to write down this information. Ichigo Kurosaki wasn’t really known in the mainstream, but his boyfriend or husband or whatever was part of Obscuras IV and that made him big news. “Do we know if it’s Grimmjow’s or Ichigo’s?”

”I think you can’t be certain, but Hailey assures me that based on the timeframe, it’s Ichigo’s. They are all going to raise the baby together, though. Grimmjow is always so cranky but he loves them, you can tell,” Orihime spilled. “Anyway, about this weekend, do you think you can come over? We’ll keep the dogs in their area.”

“Let me check my calendar, but tell me about this houseguest,” Rangiku said. She got up from her makeup table and walked over to the other desk in the room, tapping on her computer’s keyboard. It woke up and all it took was a couple of clicks before Rangiku’s schedule was on the screen. “Is this party on Saturday or Sunday? I’m free either day.”

It was a lie, but she wanted the chance to meet this Hisagi guy if he was the object of the gossip mill.

“Saturday. You remember Shu… Well, maybe you don’t, but he was the guy I did duets with back in my  _ Vega.Strife00 _ days on YouTube. He is really talented. And sweet. You’ll like him.”

She refrained from snorting. Rangiku didn’t like anyone, not really. She didn’t care if a guy was sweet or talented. She only cared about money and making it, which really sucked because she was lazy. “Well, I think I remember him. Quick question though,” she said in a friendly tone as she walked back over to the makeup table. “Is he there just as a houseguest, or is he your lover? Do you guys have the same arrangement as Ichigo and his brood?”

Orihime paused in shock for a moment, then blew out a raspberry and laughed for nearly a full minute before responding. “Oh my god, Rangiku, you’re hilarious. If Shu so much as looked at me the wrong way and Ulquiorra saw we’d be mopping his blood off the pool deck instead of having a barbecue on it. In other words, not in this lifetime. No. Shuhei just broke up with his long-term girlfriend and had no place to go so we’re putting him up until he finds a place.”

It was charity. Hmmm. She quickly wrote this all down on the pad of paper before tapping the pen against her lip. “Okay, sure, I would love to meet this Shu. This is the guy you did videos with after the breakup with Ulq, right?” Rangiku knew if Orihime’s husband had heard her shorten his name, he’d be out for blood too.

“The same one. He’s pretty cute, don’t you think?” Orihime asked in a leading way, testing Rangiku’s interest.

“He’s definitely cute on camera. We will see how he holds up in person,” Rangiku said. She knew she would have to watch those videos over again. “Oh, by the way, permission to use your videos? I’m not doing anything bad, but you are news.”

”Oh, for sure, just give me a heads up before you run them to warn my mister. Don’t need him getting caught unaware and getting crabby,” Orihime responded, laughing. She didn't mind Ulquiorra’s personality and knew how to navigate his idiosyncrasies.

“You know I would do everything I could to keep from offending him.” Rangiku bid the woman farewell and was immediately back on the phone with Shinji, then Akon, and then Lisa. They all had jobs to do now. Of course, she also had a job to do, and that was shopping for a new bikini and a sundress.

  
***

“Down, Princess. Wait, No! No, King, get back here!” Shuhei was tangled up at the ankle with the Cifer canines’ leashes, and King, the berner, had gotten loose just inside the property gate. Only Adonis, the corgi, seemed to be on his best behavior today. The dogs seemed to take it in turns who was going to be good and who was going to misbehave during the three weeks he had been living with the Cifers. Today it was two naughty puppers.

Shuhei sighed in relief as King took off towards the house instead of the street, carefully tuned around to close the gate, and then dropped the remaining leashes. He crouched down to the red and white corgi and scratched him behind the ears. “So you’re my good boy, today, huh?” 

That moment of tranquility was destroyed a moment later when the giant malamute decided it was her turn for love and knocked the man over.   


“Prin. Yes. You’re my girl. Where is your mother?” Shuhei grumbled as his face was bathed with sloppy dog kisses. He sighed and turned his face sideways to see not the human face he was looking for, but Ulquiorra’s.

“Are you so incompetent that you can’t handle all three dogs at once? Perhaps you should take them for a W-A-L-K separately,” Ulquiorra said with a disapproving look. He knew not to say that word out loud, because he didn’t want Princess to mow him over.

“It’s too hot for three separate W-A-L-Ks twice a day,” Shu countered, eyeing the mostly black dog panting in the shade under the house awning. “King laid down at the corner a block away in protest.”

A trying sigh left Ulquiorra. He knew it was a mistake to get two overly furry dogs. “You can always shave them down. Or brush them more to keep their coats thin,” he replied. “King! Prinny! Pool!” Ulquiorra got mowed down anyway when the malamute took off for her personal kiddie pool that Orihime had bought for the dogs.

“You’re not supposed to shave them, you know. It’s not good for their skin. You can only do that to poodles and terriers,” Shu muttered, getting to his feet. He was a bit of a dog lover and had spent a decent amount of his time as a young boy in the library reading about dogs and dog breeds. He had always wanted one and was quite fond of the Cifer dogs, as poorly behaved as they could be. Still, he knew he was on the receiving end of Ulquiorra’s generosity, so he played it off. “That’s what the groomer said when I suggested it, anyway.”

Ulquiorra scoffed as he got up and dusted himself off. He bent down and picked up the corgi to take him to the littlest pool, which Princess was currently laying in. “Still, I thank you and appreciate it that you are taking them for walks. The most Ivan did when he was here would skim the pool once or twice and say he helped out. Princess, out of Donnie’s pool! Ugh, you giant hairball!”

“Speaking of Ivan,” Shuhei began, using Ulq’s preferred nickname for Ichigo. “We were going to go play basketball later when it cools off. Do you want to come?” the taller man offered. He didn't expect Ulquiorra to take him up on it.

A small smirk played on Ulquiorra’s mouth. “I wouldn’t dare pass on an opportunity to mock Ivan. I’m in,” he said as he put Adonis into the pool. “Now, water the dogs. I’ll go tell Orihime what we are doing.”

“Uh, okay,” Shuhei said, his eyes slightly rounder than usual. He was surprised that this was the same guy who nearly punched his lights out three years ago. He had changed a lot in that time. Still, he was a bit pretentious. Part of him wanted to… Yeah, he was going to do it after the water comment. “Sure thing, Mr. Cifer. Want me to dust those brownies too?” he teased, referencing Ulquiorra’s father being his boss in the past.

Ulquiorra didn’t even turn around. He just raised his arm and extended his middle finger as he walked to the house. “I can always say the word and you’d be trampled into the ground, Shu,” he replied.

Orihime heard those words as her husband entered the house and turned around with a gentle scowl. “What did he do now?” she asked in a long-suffering tone.

“I asked him to put water into the dogs’ pools and I get a remark like I’m a slave driver. He’s living here rent free. I’m paying him to walk my--our dogs. I could open the door and yell the word walk. Those two giants we have would maul him.”

Orihime chuckled and gave him a kiss before turning back to the sink where she had been filling a vase. “Did you actually ask, or did you just bark a command at him like you do to the dogs? You can be that way sometimes, you know,” she said, smiling down at what she was doing. Then her head snapped up. “Oh! I forgot to tell you, I talked to Rangiku today. She’s coming on Saturday. I was kind of talking Shu up to her, and she sounded interested…” she dangled that news as if it were a treat.

Ulquiorra groaned. It was a loud, pained, drawn-out sound of displeasure. “No! Why? C’mon. She’s… She’s… Terrible. I’d much rather push Nanao onto Shu than her!”

Orihime laughed. He was so dramatic. “You would not. Then you’d have to see him all the time,” she said quietly, then smiled at Ulquiorra. “I really appreciate you being so accommodating, though. I can tell you’re putting in an effort. I still feel kind of guilty for what I did three years ago…” She felt that she had led Shuhei on, and she wasn’t exactly wrong. She hadn’t meant to do it, but she had not taken his feelings into account when she asked to be roommates.

“I have to be accommodating. You’re his friend and if I’m mean to him then you’ll be unhappy with me and that is the last thing I want,” he said, wrapping his arms around his wife’s waist. “Rangiku is still terrible.

Orihime hummed and leaned back into the embrace. “Maybe. She seems like she just needs better people. I think she and Shu would be good for one another.”

After burying his face into the woman’s neck, Ulquiorra asked, “How do you figure? Shu is a tattooed twit and Rangiku is a vulture.”

“People have their reasons for being how they are. You sure did,” she smiled before she continued. “I’ve heard stories about Rangiku from people at the office. She doesn’t let anyone in. Shu is so unassuming and sweet. It’s hard not to want to take care of him, even if he doesn’t need it. He’s like a puppy. He might be the one to slip under her radar.”

Turning Orihime around to face him, Ulquiorra looked at his wife and raised an eyebrow. She was meddling. Maybe she needed something to do. She had asked him to consider starting a family, but he had turned her down, citing the fact that raising a kid on a tour bus was not the ideal thing to do. When Ulquiorra decided to have kids, he would take a seat behind the recording console as a producer, not a musician. Having kids right now would still give Orihime nine months to be nosy. “Rangiku seems to have her life together. I’d be surprised if she even glances at Hisagi, to be honest.”

Orihime sighed. “You might be right, but I don’t think Ran has it together. I think she’s barely hanging on. Something in her voice and in her eyes… Still. Maybe if Shuhei had a makeover he’d have a better chance. I can’t believe he got more tattoos. He didn't even seem to like the ones he had. I don’t think Ran is the kind of person who is into that, she’s kind of… Um, too “Pottery Barn” for that kind of thing.”

From all the pictures that Orihime had shown him, Rangiku’s house looked like it was straight from a catalog. Her outfits seemed to come from images on pinterest. “Is your friend even looking to date? Also did you invite Mom and Dad and my sister?”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “I thought you did that. Shit,” she said, forgetting his first question. “I’ll call Jon.” Orihime was still not overly fond of Ulquiorra’s mother, although their relationship was cordial.

He frowned at her. “I’ll call and ask. Knowing your luck, my mom will answer and you’ll be stuck talking about kids with her and we’ll have another discussion about it.” 

Orihime exhaled. “No, no, you’re right. We’re too young and we have a lot we want to do before the time is right.” Her lip twisted a bit at the corner. She was warring with herself on the matter, too. He was absolutely right, and she knew it. Still, the romantic side of her wanted to throw all the reality out of it and just follow her uterus.

“Oh, and after Shu is done with the dogs, he and I are gonna go pay Ivan a visit. Do you want to come with us and hang out with Hailey?”

“Oh!” Orihime perked right up. “Yes! I was just at the shops today and picked up another thing for her nursery. It’s going to be so cute, you should see it. She’s going with a Winnie the Pooh theme. Oh! Also they are having a girl! Can you imagine how pretty she’s going to be with Hailey and Ivan for parents?” Orihime could not contain herself. She was completely unaware of how much and how often she gushed about her friend’s baby.

Ulquiorra kissed his wife and then shook his head before he let her go. “I’m going to go help your friend,” he said with a smile on his face. The green-eyed man was planning on yelling the word walk to the dogs in hopes that they would trample the tattooed singer.

When Ulquiorra came back out, he realized that effort would be in vain. All three soaking wet dogs were shaking their coats off at Shuhei, who stood in a defeated posture and waited until they were finished before shedding his t-shirt and wiping his face off with the inside of it, then turning towards the human pool.   


“Did you know we’re having a barbeque this weekend?” Ulquiorra asked as he reached Shu. Princess attempted to rub her body against her owner, but he quickly moved out of the way. “Sit, Princess, or you’re going to the time out room!”

The dog whimpered and sat down before looking at Shuhei.

“Listen to your father,” Shu said in a low voice to the dog, before turning his attention back to Ulquiorra. “Um, Hime mentioned having a small get-together. Who is coming?”

“Possibly people from Veggs’ work, maybe my parents. Lord knows she invited Ivan and his harem, um, Nanao, Isane, this one woman named Rangiku,” Ulquiorra answered. “If you’re going for a swim, just tell me when you’re done and we’ll go. Orihime’s going along with us.”

“I figured it would be quicker and more water efficient than a shower, which I’ll have to do after hoops anyway.” Shu paused and thought for a moment. “Rangiku… is that the same one from the It’sRan show?”

“The same exact one, in all of her Instagram gloriousness. I’m being sarcastic.”

”She’s hot. I didn't know you guys were friends.”

“We are not friends. She is Orihime’s friend, and since Orihime invited her, that means she knows you’re here. This will create drama. Rangiku thrives on drama,” Ulquiorra sighed. “My wife will be happy to know you think Rangiku is hot though.”

Shuhei found that amusing. “She will?” He smiled and blushed a bit. “Why do you think that?”

Ulquiorra shook his head before he whistled for the dogs. “You’re dense, Hisagi. Get cleaned up, please.” The green-eyed man turned and went back into the house with just one dog, though.

King and Princess both jumped into the big pool, knocking Shuhei into it.

“Thanks, dick,” Shuhei said under his breath as he resurfaced. Ulquiorra was nowhere to be seen.

***

“Ollie! You made it! Veggs, you look well. Hails is in the--” 

“Hey Ichigo! I’ll find her!” the short woman ducked inside the house he shared with his lovers in Malibu

“She seems in a hurry,” Ichigo remarked.

Ulquiorra frowned at his wife and nodded at Ichigo. “She still wants children. I’m hoping your child is totally disgusting and has a bad attitude which will turn her off from ever wanting kids,” he replied.

Ichigo dribbled the ball he had been holding over his hip and passed it to the green-eyed man. “I don’t know what you’re so afraid of. It’s just a baby. People have them all the time,” he said casually. “What do you think, Shu? You want kids?”

The other man nodded. “Yeah, I’ve always wanted a few kids.”

“Children restrict freedoms. My mother complains that my sister stops her from going to Europe and wherever else she used to go,” Ulquiorra stated. “Also, less sex when kids are around. One of these days when I’m done being Obscuras IV I will give her a baby… Just one, though.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “And how old will you be then, fifty? Dude. She’s older than you. She’s not going to last that long. I mean, no rush, you guys just turned what, twenty-one? Twenty-two? You’re fine now, but…”

“Yeah, and it’s not like you two go anywhere either,” Shu commented, stealing the ball from Ulquiorra and making a two-point shot.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at his houseguest. “I happen to like my home. I spent enough on it to want to stay there and away from the idiots of this city,” he said. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. “Is Grimmjow here? I need to talk to him about something.”

Ichigo paused, picking up the ball. “Yeah, he’s down in the TV room. What do you need to talk to him about?”

“It’s for members of Obscuras IV and not their groupies,” Ulquiorra said before he walked into Ichigo’s home.

Ichigo watched him go inside and then looked back at his houseguest, tossing him the ball. “It’s hot. Want to just play horse?”

Shuhei nodded and set up a shot, which went through the mesh net with a clean-sounding swoosh. “What do you think is really his issue?”

Ichigo grabbed the ball and went to the spot Shuhei had stood at and repeated the shot. “Beats me. Guy is like a walking psych 202 textbook or something. More issues than TV Guide.”

Shu smirked at that, watching Ichigo set up a new shot closer to the basket. “You’re telling me. He seems to have mellowed out, though. I’ve been staying with them for three weeks and he hasn’t threatened to clean my clock once.” He jogged forward a couple steps to collect the ball and reset up. He missed. “H,” he muttered and set up a new shot.

“So, I hear the guest list for this weekend has expanded. Hime said Jon and Maria and the baby are coming. They’re nice. Have you met them?” Ichigo asked and took his turn. He also missed. “H”.

Shu grabbed the ball and stopped, holding it over his hip. “I used to work for Jon. He’s a good guy. Never met Ulq’s mom, though. I heard someone else is coming, too,” he said, taking a few steps back and sinking a three-pointer.

Ichigo knew who he was talking about. “You mean Rangiku? Wow. I’m surprised. She usually only goes out to be seen. She must owe someone a favor.” Ichigo set up his shot and muttered, “I would do her a favor, if you know what I mean,” and flashed his brows at Shu. He missed. “O”.

Shuhei chuckled. “Don’t you have your hands full already?”

“Yeah, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t under different circumstances,” Ichigo said. “So would you. Check this out,” he said, taking his phone out of his pocket and pulling up her Instagram account. “I mean, dude. You would. I would. Shit, Orihime would. Look at her.”

Shu chuckled despite himself. Something about Ichigo Kurosaki brought out an immature side of his sense of humor. “Okay, yeah, she’s attractive. I’ve never met her, though.”

“Dude, seriously? Does that matter?”

Now Shuhei scowled, their game forgotten. “Yeah, it does. My ex was a harpy. Cute. Kinky. Up for anything. But she was a self-centered bitch. I don’t need that.”

“Suit yourself. Want to get a drink?”

Shuhei nodded and followed Ichigo inside, pulling the bottom of his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his brow as he entered the kitchen.

“Come on, you want me to go into labor early? Put the abs away, Hisagi,” Hailey complained. 

Orihime laughed at her. “Yeah, can you believe that people are saying he’s our poolboy-slash-sex slave? It’s hilarious. People will make up anything.”

“Hey, you could do a lot worse than Shuhei Hisagi, Orihime!” Ichigo scolded, putting a sweaty arm over Shu’s shoulder and leaning on him.

Shu was not as amused. He liked these people, but they sometimes treated him like a new toy. It was getting kind of old. He smirked at them and then ducked out from under Ichigo’s arm. “Mind if I raid the fridge? I’m parched.”

“Oh, yeah, help yourself. I’m going to go spy on the Espada contingent. Be right back,” Ichigo said, sneaking down to the lower level.

Ulquiorra was standing beside the couch where Grimmjow was sitting. His back was to the stairs. “Look, all I’m asking is what if she leaves me because I don’t want to have kids?”

Grimmjow’s eyes flicked to his fellow bandmate and then back to the huge television. “Then she leaves you. It’s not a big deal. Hailey is pregnant. It wasn’t mine this time and who knows if the next one will be. She’s happy with it. She’ll be a great mom. Ichigo… not so much. It’ll be like having two kids to watch and entertain.”

“I still don’t see what the appeal of Ivan is,” Ulquiorra muttered. “So Matsumoto is coming to the party.”

“Tch, and? Want me to be nice to her?”

“You did bitch at her about the whole polyamory thing,” Ulquiorra pointed out.

There was a louder scoff. “That bitch needs to get a hobby or something. Being a gossip monger isn’t a job.”

“She’s made it out to be one. Orihime is trying to set Hisagi and her up. I can feel it. If Nan wasn’t a suspected lesbian, I would set them up; Hisagi and Nan. Though, I wonder if Matsumoto is into women.”

Grimmjow let out a laugh. “Nan ain’t a lesbian. Trust me. And for someone who doesn’t like the woman, you spend a lot of time speculating about her life.”

Ulquiorra’s eyes narrowed at the man. “She dragged me through the mud. I’m allowed to look for chinks in her armor and one of these days I’ll--”

“God, you’re a diva. No wonder Ichigo likes you. You both have a flair for dramatics,” Grimmjow said, still laughing.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You and my boyfriend are dramatic bitches at times.”

Ulquiorra grumbled. “If you weren’t in a contract--”

“Blah, blah, blah. Get out of my face with the threats. Hi Ichi,” Grimmjow said.

This made Ulquiorra turn around. “Ivan?”

“Ollie,” he stared at his guest like a cat with a mouse, grinning and waiting to see him sweat.

His mouth formed a thin line as Ulquiorra glared at the orange-haired asshole. “Don’t you know it’s rude to eavesdrop on people?”

“I can’t say that I care, Oliver. So what’s this I hear about Hime leaving you? You actually think that is the next logical step? Noob.”

A huff left the musician. “I’m simply worried she might find other means of acquiring a child if I decide I do not want to have them. I’m not sure I want kids,” he said.

Ichigo shook his head in mock thoughtfulness. “Maybe something you should have talked about before you got married. Anyway, she’s trying to set up Matsumoto and Shu, huh? It will never work.”

“How do you know?” Grimmjow asked, tipping his head at his boyfriend. “Is this Shu that much of a loser or is Matsumoto some kind of stick in the mud?”

Ichigo walked around to the front of the sofa and flopped down beside Grimmjow. “I don’t know where her stick is stuck, but she doesn’t seem to be his speed. He’s looking for, I believe his words were, a “non-harpy”, and someone who is “not a self-centered bitch”. I don’t see this love connection happening,” he said, sparing Grimmjow a smile and rubbing the top of his knee.

“Orihime’s going to be disappointed then,” Ulquiorra said with a sigh. “Matsumoto is the most self-centered bitch ever.”

***

Rangiku was browsing clothes the next morning… Well, she thought it was morning. Shinji woke her up around ten to tell her some news. It took her two hours to get ready and out the door. It was morning for her. It took her like three days to actually wake up. Coffee didn’t cut it with Rangilku.

She needed espresso. A quad shot of it.

Yeah, she could have made some at home but she was lazy. It was easier for her just to put it on Gin’s credit card at the local coffee place.

By the time she could talk without snipping and bitching at people it was almost two in the afternoon. Rangiku couldn’t find anything she liked. There was this stunning red dress with an off the shoulder design. She could get that and then find a red bikini… Hmmm. A text to Shinji and Rose went out with the two clothing items.

_ Shinji: _

Ooooh, that is a no bra dress! Who is this for? Gin? Girl, you should tell him to put a ring on it!

_ Rose: _

__ Too much red. What about that lace up halter you bought last week? The black one? Came with those matching shorts? Could wear that instead of buying an entirely new outfit.

Rangiku scoffed at the suggestions. These two were supposed to help her look perfect! What if someone saw her and she wasn’t pristine or perfect? Ugh. Rose was right though; she had just bought a swimsuit last week. How many bikinis did she have? She had reasons for having so many swimsuits! 

Los Angeles in July was complete hell. So much sunblock was used. Sometimes her face was paler than the rest of her body. She had to cover her face because of the faint freckles that would show up.

The only way to really keep cool was swimming or lounging by the pool. Ran mostly lounged under an umbrella while the rest of her crew swam or showed off for single ladies or men. Heaven forbid her makeup get messed up or her hair got wet. 

She sighed. Her life in Los Angeles was lackluster. There was something missing. She needed an adventure or something to make things exciting. There was all that information that Akon was gathering on Shuhei Hisagi. Rangiku still had to go through it and see what she wanted to expose on him.   


With her mouth quirked to the side she picked up the off the shoulder red dress and took it to one of the sales people. She would take a picture with the dress on and post it to Instagram.


	3. BBQ in Malibu

Shuhei was nervous, and he wasn’t sure why. Everyone had been talking about this barbecue all week like something life-altering was going to happen. 

He had been to plenty of backyard get-togethers. The most exciting thing that ever happened was when Uncle Ken stripped naked to Rod Stewart and pissed in the fire pit.

He had a feeling that this group of people were not quite what Uncle Ken had in his social circle. In fact, he was rather surprised to find the coolers full of water bottles and seltzers instead of PBR and Smirnoff Ice. What a bunch of nerds.

Oh well, it was fine. Shuhei hadn’t been much of a drinker since getting out of jail. He’d still do a few shots of whiskey or tequila now and then and he’d have a beer sometimes, but it wasn’t a priority. 

“Can I help with anything, Orihime?” he asked softly as he saw her stomp through the kitchen with a list and a stressed expression.

“Oh! Shu, yes, you’re a lifesaver. Rangiku is coming and I promised her this the next time she came over,” she said, showing him a picture of a bottle of sparkling wine. “I thought I had one in the cellar but we must have given it away as a gift for something. Would you mind picking it up? I just don’t have time--”

“Consider it done, Hime. Can I borrow your car?”

She passed him her keys and a hundred and fifty dollars and sent the picture to his phone. “They should have some at Regis’. Just ask the person at the counter. Thank you!” she called as she trotted toward the backyard.

Shuhei looked at the money and the picture of the bottle on his phone and shrugged. People could flush money down the toilet however they wanted, he decided. It wasn’t any of his business.

Ulquiorra scowled at Hisagi from his laptop. “You’re seriously going to buy that for her?” he asked Orihime. 

She paused at the glass door leading to the backyard. “Yes, I am. I promised. She and I were getting our nails done and doing some, um, shopping,” she said with a blush. That they were going to La Perla was none of Shu’s business. “Anyway, she bought a bottle for us to share at the salon and I’m just returning the favor.”

The green-eyed man scowled before raising an eyebrow. While he enjoyed the fruits of that shopping trip, his credit card statement probably wasn’t enjoying it. “Orihime, I really think--” Ulquiorra sighed. He had stated many times that he didn’t like Rangiku, but his wife needed to be social. She bloomed when around others and talking to people. She was a social butterfly at times.

Orihime sighed. “You really think what?” Ulquiorra had been weird ever since Shuhei had been staying with them. Maybe a bit before that. She was starting to feel like he was putting distance between them.

The guy stood and walked over to the redhead, giving her a kiss, not caring if they had an audience. “Nothing, it’s not important. This party will be a success,” Ulquiorra said, giving her a smile.

She relaxed somewhat but couldn’t shake the feeling that he was keeping something from her. Still, now wasn’t the time to deal with it. People were going to be here in an hour and Isane had gotten stuck in traffic and wasn’t going to be able to help much with the set up. “Do you have enough propane?” she asked Ulquiorra before Shuhei left.

“Yes, Woman. I have an extra tank,” Ulquiorra said. He looked at Hisagi then back at his wife. “Do you need me to do anything? Is there anything you want Nan to do or is she riding over with Isane?”

“She’s riding with Isane. Oh! Shu, that wine is only like a hundred-thirty, so why don’t you pick up some beer or something, too? Whatever you like is fine,” she said before turning back to Ulquiorra. “Just make sure the meat is ready.”

Ulquiorra flashed his brows at Orihime and smiled. “I mean I can do that as soon as Shuhei leaves,” he murmured to her.

“That’s not what I meant,” she hissed, but then looked him up and down. “How quick can you be?”

Ulquiorra laughed as Shuhei left.

***

Rangiku was sweltering just from walking from her apartment building to her car. Everyone expected her to live in some house in Calabasas and drive a fancy car. Sometimes for her vlogs, Rangiku would record herself using Gin’s cars or his home. But reality was that she lived in a tiny apartment in Sherman Oaks. She loved where she lived. The rent was cheap, and if anything needed to be fixed, all she had to do was call the rental company. 

Being a homeowner meant doing work. Rangiku detested work and sought a way out of it before she would do it.

Today was hot, though. It felt like her designer flats, halter bikini top, and denim cut-offs were too hot. She just wanted to be back inside her nice chilly apartment wrapped up in her worn-in hoodie and wading through the information she had on the Cifer’s new houseguest. There wasn’t much on Hisagi, but it was enough to get her interested in him. From the sheet Shinji sent her, Rangiku knew he was young and an ex-con. He looked like a thug with the facial tattoos. She had remarked to Lisa that the guy was hot and she would totally fuck him but she would never be seen out in public with him. He wasn’t refined enough. He probably didn’t have any money if he had to stay with people. 

Oh well. It wasn’t like she was interested in anyone. It was just her luck that Gin called her when she was almost to the Cifer residence. Her car was practically melting from the sun. The late model BMW had seen some miles. “Hello darling!” Rangiku said as she answered the phone. 

“Are you doing anything?”

“Now?” she asked.

“Yes,” Gin said. His friendliness sounded fake to Rangiku. They were too much alike, both wearing masks and not trusting enough to show their real sides to anyone. 

“Unfortunately, yes I am. I’m going to the Cifer’s for a party. My newest story is also going to be there so I thought I would swoop down and pick his brain before anyone else could get wind of the story,” Rangiku replied.

There was a hum from the silver-haired man. “Hmmm, Ulq’s having a party. Nice. Snap some photos of him while you’re at it.”

“Oh?”

“I need you to create some drama for him. Make him relevant again. He has a new album coming out soon,” Gin commented.

Rangiku scowled at the road and the drivers in front of her. Her sugar daddy wanted her to cause drama in her friend’s life? “Uh, I’m not really sure what I could do--”

“Tell him that Hisagi has been flirting with his wife. That might send him over the edge to punch him again. I’ve got to run; oh, make sure you’re there for that--what was it… It’s some red carpet event. I need someone on my arm for it. Tosen insists.” Gin laughed and then bid her a good afternoon.

The blonde woman spent the rest of the ride to Malibu in silence thinking of what she could do.

***

Shuhei returned to the Cifer residence just as their assistants arrived, and got a bit lost in the shuffle. He put the beers into the cooler with the frou-frou sparkling water, and then found Orihime to deliver the bottle of wine she had requested. It looked too fancy to sit in a cooler.

“Thanks, Shu! Why don’t you go get ready? Nan and Isane can handle the rest. People will start getting here in about ten minutes.”

She scurried off after that and Shuhei looked down at himself. What kind of pretentious party was this? He was wearing a short-sleeved button shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. It seemed to him to be perfectly acceptable barbecue wear. Oh well, a look in the mirror wouldn’t hurt. 

A trip to a dermatologist wouldn’t hurt either, he thought as he sighed at his reflection. He really regretted the tattoos on his face and neck. He had gotten them to fit in; to look tough. He was only fooling himself, though. Shuhei Hisagi wasn’t very tough at all. Deep down he was kind of a sensitive, flower sniffing, book nosed kid.

Ten minutes later, he was being called out of his room to come help entertain guests.

“Come on Hisagi, if I can’t hide away, neither can you,” Ulquiorra said from the other side of the door.

“Sorry, got lost in thought,” he said as he opened the door, looking the same as he had when he was sent to change. “Is everyone here already?”

“Most people are,” Ulquiorra stated. He sighed. “I think you look fine. I don’t know why Orihime is making a fuss. It’s not like you’re rolling in here with a stained shirt and basketball shorts. Anyway, I think she wants you out there because Matsumoto just arrived.”

Shuhei’s cheeks colored slightly despite himself. “Right, then. Let’s go. Is she really as bad as people say?” He asked without meaning to.

Ulquiorra looked at the other man. “Have you ever seen an episode of It’sRan? She drags people under the bus for a living. She has done this several times to me. She helped sort things out with Orihime and helped throw those assholes in prison, but still,” he paused for a moment. “I’m biased. I can’t say whether she’s bad or not.”

Shuhei sighed. As much as he did not like to pre-judge people, he was forming a poor opinion of this Rangiku chick. Still… “I promise to never say another word about this, but for the most part you dug your own holes where Orihime is concerned. She didn’t come to Oochi Verdi with red eyes for months because of It’sRan.” He shook his head at himself. This was ancient history. Still, there was a small part of him that was still pissed at the nineteen year old version of Ulquiorra for decking him in front of his friends.

“I am well aware that I did and still am, Hisagi. I know what happened. I remember it every day and I’m trying to atone for it. Look, just… don’t get caught up in it, okay?” Ulquiorra gave him a tight lipped smile before he walked down the hall to the kitchen and out of sight.

Dang. He didn’t seem to have moved past it either. Maybe that was the cause of the slight tension Shu picked up on between the newlyweds. He was a sensitive guy, after all. 

He squinted as he stepped outside into the heat. “Hi,” he said with a wave to whoever was there. He couldn’t see anyone’s face with his other hand shielding his face.

Rangiku turned around, her ponytail almost whipping the man in the face. Well, well. If it wasn’t her target. She had expected to meet him, just not this soon. “Hello,” she said, smiling that fake charming smile at him. “Wow, Orihime said you were handsome, but hoo boy, you’re more than that,” she said.

He couldn’t help the kneejerk reaction to scowl at her, even if he wasn’t upset at her words. They just sounded like they were insincere. Still, a compliment is a compliment and Shelly Petersen didn't raise him to be rude. He let the expression mellow out and he smiled at the woman, his squint slowly opening up. 

  
  
Shit. She was hot. Like, way hotter than her pictures, and those were hot.

He opened his mouth to speak and only an arid squeak came out. No matter, he probably would have said something stupid anyway. He tried to cover it up with a cough. “Sorry about that, it was kind of a climate change coming out from inside. You must be Rangiku? I’m Shu,” he said, glad his right hand was slightly behind him so he could discreetly wipe his newly sweaty palms on the back of his shirt before offering it to her with a small grin.

“Yes, I’m Rangiku. I’ve heard a lot about you. I mean from YouTube. You have a nice voice,” Rangiku said. She gripped his hand lightly before letting it go. Okay, from the pics she found online, he had been attractive but he was almost hitting hot on her fuckable meter. He’d be way more than hot if he got rid of those marks on his face. “How are you liking California so far?”

“Not too bad. It’s nice to be around friendly faces. Beats the craphole I escaped from by a long shot. How about you? Are you from here?” he asked, trying to get her talking. He preferred to not talk about himself, if possible.

Rangiku let out a chuckle as if he had said something funny. She never talked about herself to anyone. “Ohio doesn’t seem that bad. Although, famous people who leave that place never go back. Are you planning on heading back after your vacation?”

“No. I don’t want to go back, ever. Well, if my mom refuses to come visit then I’ll make an exception for her, but I’m looking at starting over, and this is a nice place to do it. You didn't answer my question, though,” he said turning a half step toward her and looking down at her with a stern expression. His eyes were soft, though. Something about this chick made him feel like the shell surrounding her needed a good cracking.

Her blue eyes flickered up to him and she smirked. What was with this guy? Usually men loved talking about themselves and hearing their own voices. “Starting over? Los Angeles is the city of fresh starts. You can be anyone you wanna be here,” she said and giggled like a schoolgirl. All the men she knew liked that. “Are you close to your mom?”

He leaned against the door jamb and half of his mouth pulled up in amusement at her. What was her deal, putting on this bizarre flattery act? He thought it was funny, and chuckled before shaking his head, ignoring her question. “Sounds like you speak from experience. So…” he trailed off, weighing the issue of whether to push her or not. In the end he decided it wasn’t worth it. Instead, he went back to her question. “My mom is my hero. She’s got a life, though. Anyway, I’m gonna grab a beer. Need anything? Hime tells me she has something for you,” he said, starting to turn around.

“Maybe I do speak from experience,” she said in a childish manner. This guy had some issues and Rangiku was going to find out about them. She needed to know what made this guy tick. She wanted to know all the juicy details that would be exposed to the world. There was a story here. “Oh, I’m driving back home after this, so nothing for me with alcohol. Do you drink often?”

“No,” he said with a smile as he walked away from her. A few steps later he said, in a louder voice, but without stopping or looking back, “Do you like frou-frou water or regular?”

That statement made her genuinely laugh. It sounded like this Shuhei wasn’t liking the norms of LA’s celebrity parties. “What? Don’t like the frilly, fussy stuff?”

“This?” he asked, picking up a can decorated with flowery vines and french-sounding words. “This stuff is delightful. I do not recommend the orange one though. Guh-ross. So, you want me to surprise you or are you going to tell me what you want?”

“I’ll take regular water, thank you.” Rangiku couldn’t help feeling at ease with this guy. She kind of felt bad that she was going to drag him through the wringer.

He grabbed a bottle of water and dried it off on this shirttail before bringing it back to her and twisting off the cap of his beer bottle. He stood beside her and looked out over the crowd. “So, have you met everyone here?” He asked after taking a swig.

Rangiku’s mouth twisted into a bigger smirk as she took the cap off the bottle of water. “I’ve done a vlog on about everyone here, so yes, I’ve met most of them,” she mused. “Speaking of which, Mr. Hisagi… Would you be interested in giving me an interview?”

He nearly spit out his beer, pressing the back of his hand against his mouth as he laughed with his mouth closed. When he finally swallowed, he asked her, “Are  _ you _ interested in interviewing me? Must be a slow news cycle. I assure you, I’m not interesting.” He avoided her gaze and took another sip.

“Slow news cycle? Ha. You’re living with the biggest piece of news right now. I’m asking out of courtesy,” she said before she took another drink from the bottle. Rangiku wasn’t usually this polite, but she figured that she’d give him a heads up before uncovering every little thing in his past. She glanced at the man standing beside her with a flirty expression. “Ulquiorra Cifer is the biggest diva there is right now.”

Shuhei bit his lips and tried not to bust out laughing, but his nostrils flared as involuntary spasms hit his belly at the idea that his host’s attitude was more than just an inconvenience in the home. For some reason the thought very much tickled him. He covered his mouth and spoke to her in an aside, “I didn't know this was a thing, Rangiku. I guess if you want to interview me, have at it. You’ll be disappointed though.”

***

Orihime was keeping a close eye on the pair next to the glass doors. She grabbed her husband by the sleeve as he walked past and hissed, “Look! Look! He’s talking to her!” with a huge grin.

Ulquiorra looked at his wife. He loved seeing her happy and excited. However, he did not like seeing her happy and excited about their houseguest. “Good. Maybe they’ll fall in love and Shu can leave,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

“Well, that is the best case scenario,” she murmured, leaning into him. “I’m surprised, though. Usually he’s much more shy and timid around women… or anyone for that matter. I wonder what makes Ran different?”

“One, Rangiku is a bitch. Two, I gave him some pointers on dealing with her,” Ulquiorra said, before kissing the top of her head. “I know she’s your friend, but I’m still salty about her segments on me.”

Orihime chuckled. “It’s her job. But whatever, you can be mad,” she said with an evil smile, worming a hand under his shirt and lowering her voice. “What kind of pointers did you give him?”

Ulquiorra hummed with contentment upon feeling Orihime’s touch. He was lucky she forgave him for everything. “I told him not to get caught up in anything,” he said. “It’s easy to lose yourself in Los Angeles. Have you introduced Shu to Urahara?”

“No, he was busy when Shu first got here and then he was out of town. We have an appointment to meet with him in a week and a half, though. I think Wednesday.”

The green-eyed man nodded. He had a therapy appointment that day… Maybe it was sooner than that. He sighed and hugged Orihime closer. “What are you going to do if Rangiku digs up his past and exposes it and somehow shifts the limelight back on us?”

“I doubt it. And even if she does, what’s it got to do with us? All of that came out when the drama twins sent her all the pictures and stuff. Nothing happened, so there is nothing to worry about,” Orihime said, referring to Nel and her college roommate and possible cellmate, Michelle.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes for a moment. “Not the stuff about Shuhei and his antics. You know Nel bragged about her and Shu hooking up. This is the kind of stuff that I worry about that will make all that stuff that happened with her relevant again. His presence in our home makes me think of everything I’ve done wrong to you in the past few years.”

Her nose wrinkled at the idea of Nel hooking up with Shu. He seemed too sweet and… Oh wait, there was that time in the bathroom at his friends’ house in Austin. He wasn’t all meek and mild all the time. She sighed and looked at Ulquiorra. “You know, you’ve got to forgive yourself and move on, right?”

A nod. “I know and that’s why I’m still in therapy. I will one of these days, Woman. Baby steps, remember?”

She pulled him down by the jaws for a kiss. “I remember,” she said.

***

Shuhei watched his friends’ little display of affection without any kind of indication that he had any feelings about it one way or another, other than the fact that he didn't look away.

Rangiku had been around the two Cifers enough that she was used to their behaviors. It was surprising at first how the recording artist would just randomly come up to his wife and embrace her or kiss her. Now she knew it was just their thing. It had made her curious about the status of their relationship or how stable their marriage was. “So do you have any plans on taking music back up, or how about plans of becoming a model? You could do it, you know.” She was trying to flatter her way into his business.

Shuhei took another sip off his bottle, still watching Ulquiorra and Orihime, before answering. “You’re nuts if you believe that. I do want to start playing again, though. I used to do it a lot but then my ex and the business… You don’t care about stuff like that it’s all boring Ohio non-drama about uninteresting people.” He took another sip, then finally pulled his eyes off the seemingly happy couple and looked at Rangiku. “You don’t have to blow smoke up my ass, by the way. Ask and I’ll answer until I won’t.”

The blonde woman turned around, leaned against the railing of the balcony, and leveled a serious look at the man. It was merely a glimpse into what a bitch she could be before smirking at him. “Oh come on. I like to get to know people. You’re new in town and you seem interesting. I don’t needlessly compliment people if I feel like they don’t deserve it.”

That was a complete lie and Rangiku knew it. She had rubbed elbows with enough big wigs in this town to know she had to kiss some ass to get somewhere.

This chick had to know some really superficial people if she thought this song and dance was effective. Shuhei didn't bother to disguise his eyeroll. “Sure. I bet. I’ll save you some time, though; I’m not interesting. It was nice meeting you, Rangiku,” he said, giving her a soulless smile and a small nod before pushing off the side of the house and walking toward Jon and Maria Cifer. He hadn’t seen Jon since he gave up the business and moved to Los Angeles anyway.

How freaking rude. Hmph! Rangiku pouted before she decided that maybe she wouldn’t feel bad if she went along with Gin’s plan. She decided to find Ulquiorra Cifer.

It took only two minutes to find him and annoy him enough that she could talk to him while he practically hissed at her.

“No he--”

Rangiku crossed her arms under her breasts and sighed. “Would I even bullshit you? I heard the guy with my own ears talking about how hot your wife is and how if you weren’t in the picture, he’d be there.”

Ulquiorra glared at the blonde and Rangiku could see the moment he accepted this statement as truth. “I’m not trying to cause problems--”

“But you are; you are doing just that.” Ulquiorra scoffed and shook his head.

Rangiku sighed again, looking extremely put out. “I was trying to charm the guy into a date but it seems like he only has eyes for Orihime. I guess old habits die hard,” she said with a one-shouldered shrug. 

“For fuck sakes,” Ulquiorra muttered. He turned on his heel and went looking for his wife or their houseguest.


	4. Backstab Version 1

Watching the trainwreck of what happened after the things she told Ulquiorra was both amusing and very dramatic. Rangiku watched him march over to Orihime and say something to the woman before he stomped off to where Shuhei stood. 

Rangiku pulled out her phone and switched to the camera so that she could record events that took place. It was almost too good as she rewatched it on her phone when she arrived back to her apartment. It was a shame someone had stopped the fight.

“What the fuck, Hisagi? You need to keep your eyes off my wife!” Ulquiorra shouted at the man.

Orihime’s voice in the background sounded nearly frantic, “Ulquiorra! What is wrong with you?”

But Shuhei’s reaction was priceless. “I was looking at both of you. What the hell, Ulq?”

“Both of us? What the fuck? I’m not running a place like Ivan or Grimm!” Ulquiorra sounded like he was panicking. Rangiku’s eyes watched as the smaller man pushed the slightly bigger one. As far as fights went, this one was tame.

Hisagi’s hands came up to grasp Ulquiorra by the shoulders and hold him at arm’s length. “Dude, I never--”

Ichigo seemed to know that if those hands made contact, death would follow. He took Shuhei by the elbows and pulled him away from the incensed Cifer. “Hey, hey, hey, everybody, this is supposed to be a nice party. Ollie, your baby sister is right here.” Of course it was that boyscout pianist who had to throw a wet blanket over everything.

Rangiku sighed as Grimmjow led Ulquiorra away from Shuhei and closed the photo app on her phone. After the altercation she thanked Orihime for inviting her and left, citing some other business she had to attend to. 

Hmmm, she thought as she peeled off her sweat dampened clothes. She needed to shower but it seemed like such a hassle to take off the makeup and let her hair get wet. What did it matter? She wasn’t going anywhere else today. The sweat and the heat had already made her hair feel uncomfortable. 

Screw it.

She took a nice cool shower, massaging her scalp and working conditioning treatment into the ends of her blonde locks. 

So, Shuhei Hisagi. He was definitely nice to look at, if the interested party liked thugs. The tattoos on his face were distracting. Why would anyone do that to themselves, especially when they looked that nice to begin with? Why did he have an ex and what was this business? What happened in Ohio that would make him drop a relationship and a business?

Hisagi was nosy. He kept asking her questions about herself instead of answering hers. What man did that?

After her shower, she wrapped a cotton robe around herself and a towel around her hair before making her way to her small kitchen. It was really a kitchenette, but she made it work. Rangiku made all appearances to be healthy in public, like ordering cold pressed juice, which was nasty, or ordering vegan dishes, which she wasn’t.

She popped some bread into the toaster and rummaged in one of her cupboards for a jar of Nutella. After putting a couple of spoonfuls of the stuff on the toasted wheat bread, she got herself a small glass of milk, knowing she would spend a good hour wasting her life away on the treadmill for her dinner choices today. At least she didn’t eat anything at the Cifers' barbeque. It all looked so delicious, but Rangiku was there for a reason, and it was not pleasure.

Taking her food to her room, she sat at the desk and opened her laptop to see what Shinji had found. There were multiple What’sApp messages from him. The count beside his name said thirty-four.

_ Shinji:  _ _  
_ _ BRUH, okay. Okay. Listen. _ _  
_ _ I got in touch with this chick who was seen in the SXSW photos with him, the peach schnapps group.. _ _  
_ _ Momo Hinamore? Something like that?  _ _  
_ _ Maybe it was pinafore???? _ _  
_ _??? _

It didn’t surprise Rangiku that Shinji couldn’t remember someone’s name. She would have to google the information and look at the pictures from the first year OIV had done South by Southwest. That’s when pictures of Shuhei and Orihime surfaced of them playing live shows.

_ Her and several other people bought Jon Cifer’s businesses. _ _  
_ _ They’re absolute delinquents. _ _  
_ _ Most of them have records. _ _  
_ _ HISAGI HAS BEEN TO PRISON. _ _  
_ _ Drug charges! Can you believe this? _ _  
_ _ Those tattoos on his face are probably prison tattoos. _ _  
_ _ Also this Momo said that Shu was hung up on some guy named Kira? Kyra? Izuuki? I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention. _

This information made her raise an eyebrow and then frown. Shuhei said he was not interesting but he was totally wrong. Rangiku felt like she was just barely scratching the surface with this guy.

There were more messages from Shinji but the one that caught her eye was a doozy.

_ Shinji: _

_ Momo also said that Ulq’s old neighbor and friend with benefits hooked up with Hisagi. _ _  
_ _ Cannot confirm with Nel ofc, prison and all that. _

Her eyes went wide with this information. What kind of sick and twisted world had Ulquiorra Cifer and this Shuhei Hisagi come from if they had been passing girls back and forth? The scandal that happened a couple of years ago involving Ulquiorra and Nelliel was riveting. It caught her interest when Nel had sent her the screenshots of their text and Instagram messages. As time went on, it became an annoyance to deal with the scorned woman.

If she was going to be asking questions to another jilted lover, she wanted to know what kind of person this Momo was.

When she looked the woman up on Facebook, Rangiku actually found out her name was Momo Hinamori. She was very short and almost looked like a plainer version of Orihime Cifer, but with brown hair. The vlogger made certain to note this fact on her pad of paper. As she scrolled through the posts, she could tell that this was a basic bitch.

Momo seemed to be all folksy and carefree but she came off as only doing music for the fame or to get rich. As she looked through the posts from the last month, they were the standard, “I love my man!” which quickly turned into those, “Single women are strong women” memes. 

Ugh.

Then came the cowboy boots and country girl cow shit and things about scorned women. It was all Pinterest shit that those pumpkin spice bitches made when they felt like they had gotten the wrong end of the stick.

Rangiku already didn’t want to talk to this chick but she knew she had to get the facts. With a sigh, she texted Orihime.

R: Hime!!! So what did Shuhei think of me? He didn’t seem too interested. I forgot to ask him for his number. Oh and sorry for setting off Ulq. I got that bit of gossip and really needed him to answer the question. Lunch next week?

After she sent it off, she put her phone down, pulled up Netflix and ate her nutella toast while drinking the milk. It was a nice way to pass the time.

***

Shuhei had tried to explain, but Ulquiorra was not having it. In the end, Orihime asked Ichigo if Shuhei could go crash at their house for a couple of days while Ulquiorra cooled off. Grimmjow took some convincing, but when Orihime framed it as something that could make Ulquiorra be an asshole at work, he quickly relented. So the new guy packed a small bag and went home with the odd couple and their pregnant girlfriend.

That night, Orihime got ready for bed as she usually did, but was a bit less carefree about hopping into bed with her husband. She sat on the side of the bed and looked down at him as he lay, looking at his phone on his side of the bed. “What did Rangiku say to you? She texted me earlier acting like everything was no big deal. I didn't respond.”

Ulquiorra huffed and looked at Orihime. “She was bringing up stuff like Shuhei was talking about you. As I told you earlier, I was feeling insecure about him being around. I know I said he could stay but… Orihime, he brings up bad memories. It makes me think of the time Nel sent me pictures of his stupid flower arrangement he gave you on Valentine’s day and those pictures of you two hugging. It reminds me of South by Southwest and those kisses.”

She sighed and laid beside him, draping an arm over his belly and resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s ancient history, Ulquiorra. I don’t know why Rangiku would try to plant a seed in your head like that, but I’m starting to think you might be right about her. I mean, she’s fun and I like shopping with her, but she doesn’t seem to care who she hurts. I didn't like seeing you like that today. I don’t like to see you feeling so upset that you lose your temper,” she gave him a squeeze and exhaled slowly. 

“To you guys it might be ancient history, but Dr. Soifon makes me revisit the whole party and our break up and my eating issues every six months. She wants to make sure I understand my actions and the consequences that stemmed from it. Honestly, I’m just ready to move onto other subjects with her, but I can’t seem to let it go. I feel like Hisagi could take you away from me if I don’t want kids,” Ulquiorra said in a quiet tone.

Orihime lifted her head to look at him. This was new. “Hold on, first of all, even if you don’t want kids, Shuhei will not be taking me anywhere. Secondly, you  _ don’t _ want kids? Like ever?”

Ulquiorra gave his wife an exasperated glance. “I don’t know. My parents weren’t the best at raising kids. Sure they’re doing a fine job together with my sister. Neither you nor I grew up in a wholesome, loving environment, Orihime. I don’t want to screw up a human with forcing my ideals and quirks on it. I know you want kids. I can see it every time we see Hailey or you read about or see another pregnant person.”

Orihime didn't know what to say or how to deal with this, at least not in a way that would make things any better. She sat there looking at the sheets for awhile, silently. Finally she said, “You are not your parents. I am certainly not Claire. And look at what happened with her? She was a million times worse than either of your parents, and she didn't succeed and forcing anything into my personality, at least nothing that came directly from her. I guess what I’m saying is that kids aren’t shapeless lumps of clay; they come with their own personalities and all parents get to do is try to herd them in a particular direction. Anyway…” she trailed off. She knew he wouldn’t actually listen to what she was saying but she couldn’t not say it.

He heard her though. He understood what she was saying. He knew he wasn’t Jon Cifer. He knew he wasn’t Maria Cifer. Ulquiorra couldn’t help wonder if he was against the idea of having kids to punish his parents. He didn’t want to give them grandchildren to fawn over when neither of them had time to nurture and fawn over him. This was an issue to bring up to the therapist. “You know I have a bad opinion about Ran. I find gossip whores to be in bad taste and she’s fake as her tits,” Ulquiorra stated. “Everything about her seems that way, and it’s the complete opposite of you. You are the realest person I know.” 

It put a small smile on her face. Still, she couldn’t shake the icky feeling in her belly. This issue with kids should be a non-issue. Yeah, she had brought it up, and yeah, she fawned and cooed and made a fuss about Hailey and the baby and got baby fever now and again, but she was on the same page as Ulquiorra about kids and the present, and that was that it was not a great idea. She was set to go out on tour again in a couple of months. She was only twenty-two years old. It was more of a fantasy for her to play with and pass the time. Plus it gave her more in common with Hailey, and she was a nice person that Orihime wanted to become closer with.

Still.

If this was going to be the same position he took in five or ten years, it could very well tear them apart. That fact was staring her down in her heart and she couldn’t shake the chill that set in there.

She found his eyes while she still had that little smile on her face and kissed him. “Thanks. You know I love you, right?”

“I love you. You know I love you.”

She sighed. She did. She knew. She just knew from experience that love wasn’t always enough, and that scared the shit out of her. She laid down before that fear became apparent on her face and rolled over to turn out her bedside lamp before turning back toward him and snuggling into his arm. “I know.”

“Orihime.” Ulquiorra knew that she wasn’t telling him something. “Communication, remember?”

“I’m just scared,” she whispered, trying to keep her composure. It had been a trying day and she wasn’t feeling emotionally strong. “I don’t want this baby thing to become an issue, but someday, it will. I don’t really want kids now, despite what I sometimes say and how I act. It’s fun to daydream about, but it’s not what I want right now. But someday, it probably will be.”

He laid down beside Orihime and pulled her close to him. Ulquiorra buried his face into her hair and inhaled deeply. He was supposed to make his wife feel special and all he had done was made things tense. “It’s not an issue. I’m just afraid that someone from our past will charm you away from me. Give me a couple of years to grow up and get over my parental issues. We can have this discussion again.”

She laughed voicelessly. “You’re an idiot. You know that?” Her arms went around his torso and she pressed herself to him firmly. “No one is going to charm me away from you.”

“I’m your idiot though, so that has to count for something. Shu can move back in.”

***

Since Orihime hadn’t answered her, Rangiku knew she was going to have to run the story. She didn’t want to. She didn’t want to be that bitch. 

She hated being ignored, though. Rose set up the cameras in Gin’s living room while the blonde sat on his white couch in a peach, form-fitting crop top and pencil skirt. It was tight as hell and uncomfortable, but anything for fashion and beauty. She made a mental note to drag the people who designed this outfit though.

“Hello everyone! It’s me, Rangiku, from It’s Ran! Welcome back to another exciting episode. Guess who is back?! Now we all remember who Obscuras IV's frontman is. How can we forget? He croons on YouTube and various streaming medias. You also cannot forget the man does interviews and live tours around California and nearby states. His wife is also just--” Here Rangiku paused and placed her hands over her heart as if she couldn’t take it. “Orihime is just the cutest thing ever. I love her. So bubbly and bright!”

“Recently the Cifers have had a houseguest and it’s someone from their past. Shuhei Hisagi recently took up residence in their Malibu home with them, but after an altercation this weekend, it seems like things might be on the fritz for this new trio. Hisagi claimed to be looking at both Ulquiorra and his wife, which sent the dramatic singer into a tizzy. Hmmm, it makes me wonder who will pick a side? Will we see things blossom between the three of them like Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his lovers?”

Rangiku smiled at the camera and then giggled. She knew it was fake sounding, but that was her appeal. She was a gossiper. She was someone whose life was perfect on Instagram and a shitshow behind the scenes. “The only thing that I got from the Cifers was that they were merely helping out an old friend, but tensions seemed really high in the household right now. Anyway, that’s all the tea I have for today! Until next time, bye bye!” 

As soon as the camera went off, Rangiku shook her head and dropped the act. She hated feeling that she was betraying her friend. Orihime showed concern, and while the blonde shrugged it off, it meant something to her. Why was she like this?

“Are you okay?” Rose asked, after several minutes of Rangiku having a silent pity party for herself.

As much as she longed to say no, she wasn’t okay, Rangiku nodded. “Yeah I’m just in a bitchy mood because of this dress. Ugh. I hope it doesn’t leave any marks on my skin. How am I--”

“Okay, okay, why don’t you go shopping or something. Treat yourself to a new set of nails or a massage?” Rose was good for suggesting things for self care days. “Since the video is under thirty minutes, it won’t take me long to edit it and add the video of the fight. I’ll text you when it’s done rendering and you can post it.”

The woman nodded, and soon as Rose left she let the frown on her face sit there for a while.

***

“That BITCH!” Orihime roared, stomping through the house and sending canines scattering. Shuhei had been dropped off back at the Cifer residence by Ichigo a few hours earlier, and now he was frightened of the tiny woman, too, wondering if it had been a mistake to return.

“Where the fuck is that Cuvee, Isane? Give it to me!”

The white-haired assistant scurried to the mostly-empty wine fridge tucked away in a corner of the pantry and brought Orihime the bottle in question. “Orihime, it’s only early afternoon. Do you want me to put in the fridge for later?”

“Uh, no, you’re going to sit here and drink this with me and then I’ll let you take an uber home,” Orihime answered, nostrils flaring.

“I’m sorry, I have obligations later this evening.”

“Fine. You know what, go now. This probably isn’t going to get any better. I’ll see you tomorrow, Isane.” Orihime watched her assistant let herself out, only to see Shuhei peeking from around the corner. “And sorry, Shu, you don’t get any. Don’t want to start another altercation. What the fuck did you tell her? Ugh. I’m not even mad at you, I just can’t keep my voice down!”

“I was just asking her questions about herself, mostly. She didn't answer. She was not really into anything.”

Orihime lowered her brows at him. “That’s not what it looked like to me, Shu. I’ve never seen you talk to a woman with the kind of… _casualness_ that you had talking to her. You seemed into it. What the hell?”

Shuhei laughed once, but it wasn’t because anything was funny. “It wasn’t that. She is out of my league. So much so that I didn't even worry if I had a chance, because I know I don’t, so I just didn't care very much. What is the big deal about this story, anyway? Isn’t she just some kind of garbage gossip vlogger?”

Orihime paused and looked at him for a long moment. “You know what? You’re absolutely right. The thing that pisses me off is that she and I were supposed to be friends. Friends don’t create dirty laundry and then air it out later. Friends don’t refer to you as the ‘cute wife’ of your more successful husband. I have a fucking career too, you know. But no, she doesn’t even give me a shout out. It was Orihime,  _ Obscuras’ _ wife. Not Vega. Bitch,” she said, popping the bottle and taking a swig off of it. “I’m sorry Shu, but if you know what’s good for you, hide in your room today. I’m about to either make a fool of myself or throw enough shade to mimic an eclipse.” With that, she took the bottle with her into her room and shut the door.

Damn. That woman could get angry, Shuhei thought. Well, if she was going to do something crazy, maybe he could get back into Ulquiorra’s good graces a bit and warn him. His assistant had left him in the recording studio/pool house before she went to run some errands, so he followed the path out the backdoor and knocked on the glass door to the studio.

“Come in!” Ulquiorra called out. He was tuning his acoustic guitar and lifted his head expecting to see his wife. The disappointment on his face was clear as he saw his houseguest. “Welcome back, Hisagi. I apologize for yelling and pushing you.”

Shu rubbed the back of his neck and glanced back at the house. “Well, as I understand, you were provoked by the very same person who has your wife in a tizzy at present. She advised me to go hide in my room… something about throwing shade and maybe making a fool of herself. I thought you should know.”

Oh hell, he thought. With a sigh, Ulquiorra turned to the laptop that was sitting on a table and quickly punched at the keyboard bringing up the popular video site. “Have you seen the video? Do you know what would cause Orihime to get angry?”

“Uh, yeah. She spun some bullshit story about the three of us and then downplayed Orihime’s relevance compared to you.”

Scrunching his nose at the screen, Ulquiorra quickly found the video in the top ten trending videos. His latest video was hovering there too, along with Orihime’s newest single. He clicked on the video titled,  _ New Side Project or Side Partner for OIV.  _ He rolled his eyes.

Ulquiorra listened to the blonde woman. He looked at everything in the video, trying to see if there was anything he could use against her. Besides the woman’s joyless eyes, Rangiku’s execution was flawless. “Gossip mongering--Must calm down. Where is Orihime? Did she go driving off somewhere?”

“Uh, no, she opened that bottle she had me pick up for Ran and went into your room.”

It was hard telling what the redhead would do. Ulquiorra had only seen her become angry on several occasions and those were incidents he didn’t want to experience again. He got up from his chair and walked over to the door. Before he went out it, he nodded to the other guy. “Thanks,” he said.

It was fortunate that he didn’t have to go far to find Orihime. She was already outside and headed towards the pool. “Veggs, you’re at number six. I’m sitting at number nine,” he called out.

She turned toward him, wearing a large pair of sunglasses and a bathrobe, and gave him a dazzling smile. “Thanks, my love. Now, tell Hisagi to get lost for a bit, I don’t need another fistfight.”

Shu took off powerwalking towards the house. He didn't want to get involved. It didn't mean he wouldn’t eavesdrop on what was going to happen, though. Orihime seemed like she was about to explode.

The woman watched him get into the house, and she tapped a button on her phone. Some old 90’s hiphop girl power song came on over the pool speakers and she dropped the robe, revealing a red bikini. Then she turned her phone onto herself as she lounged in a chair next to the pool, taking a sip out of the bottle she had set there. “Hey Instagram, it’s your buddy Vega Highwell! Just wanted to say hey and hope you’re all having an amazing day! I’ve invited all my girls over for some bubbly by the pool and I’ll make sure to take some pics for you!” she made a big kiss face at the camera and let go of her phone, setting it down on the robe and rolling over onto her belly, grumbling, “Cute, I’ll give you cute.”

“Orihime, what are you planning?” Ulquiorra asked as he stood by her chair with his arms folded over his chest. “Did you not hear me? Your video is more popular than my latest video. Ran got people interested in your stuff. What’s the deal? We all know what she said isn’t the truth.”

“We also know that the truth doesn’t matter to the public, only what the commentators present. She called me “Obscuras’ wife, Orihime.” Not Ulquiorra’s wife, Orihime. Not Obscuras’ wife, Vega. She purposely made me seem less important than you. And that’s saying nothing about baiting you with bullshit about Hisagi, recording it, and then airing it on her horseshit program. You’re right, she’s not my friend, and I am going to rub it in her bitch face.”

Ulquiorra sighed and sat down next to his wife on the lounge chair. “Woman, right now you are more important than me, Mrs. Number six,” he said, playing with the edge of the bikini bottom. “This is nice by the way. You hardly ever wear swimsuits this skimpy. Did you really invite people over for another party? I mean there are other ways to get back at her.”

She turned her face and smirked at him. “I remember the days when I didn't require swimwear,” she said in a seductive voice, then sighed. “I didn't invite anyone. I was going to post a pic of me and Nan when she got back with sad faces that the bottle was empty. I’m glad you like the suit, though.” She rolled over to let him see the front. “What other ways?”

All the diabolical plans that Ulquiorra had been formulating since he learned of Rangiku Matsumoto’s existence took a flying leap off a cliff as soon as he saw the front of the bikini. Damn his wife was hot. “You don’t really need a swimsuit,” he said to her, leaning over and kissing her. “If he sees, he sees. I’m not going to give a damn, because we love each other and I will fight everyone on the face of the planet for you.” Ulquiorra smiled and slipped his hand under one of the bikini top’s cups.

Orihime bit her bottom lip and hummed, her hips already squirming at his touch. It had been a few days since they had been intimate; there had just been too much stress. Plus, she loved it when he talked like that. “Oh yeah? Even Hulk Hogan?”

Stripping his shirt off and throwing it on top of Orihime’s robe, Ulquiorra nodded. “Are your ears working? Everyone. You are mine and I’m going to make love to you on this chair. Right here, right now. It’s probably…Nevermind.”

Her hands pulled on his waistband and fondled his abs. “Probably what?” she murmured.

“It’s probably the only action Hisagi’s gonna witness since he passed up on the chance to possibly contract an STI with Matsumoto?”

Orihime laughed. “Ew, and lucky him,” she said, pulling him on top of her.

Ulquiorra laughed along with her, before he slipped a hand between their bodies and started undoing the button and zipper to his shorts. He didn’t take them off, just pulled them down low enough to release his cock. “After we finish this, we can discuss fucking Matsumoto over.”

“Oh yeah, talk dirty to me Babe,” she said with a chuckle, pulling the crotch of the bikini bottom to the side.

“You’re a dork, Veggs,”


	5. A Risky Gamble

Ulquiorra looked at Shuhei and repeated his question. “Do you want to go with me and get a beer? Nan will come get us when we’re ready to leave the bar.”

Shuhei was a little slow. He was having a hard time shaking the image of Ulq’s white ass pounding Orihime into a lawn chair, or a lounge chair, or whatever these fucked up people called their fucked up furniture. He should not have peeked. Finally Ulquiorra’s severe brows snapped him out of it. “Um, okay, yeah. I’m ready when you are.”

He had told Orihime that this didn’t need to involve her. He didn’t want his _cute_ wife soiling her hands with some heinous plan that he had concocted. Ulquiorra loved her too much for her to stain her name. Of course, he didn’t say she couldn’t do whatever she thought up to get back at the blonde bitch. 

Once he pulled into the bar’s parking lot, Ulquiorra got out and looked at the place. It was one of those hole in the wall joints that Grimmjow frequented whenever he needed some space away from his partners. He had told Ulquiorra about it, thus the two men were there now. 

It was just as he expected as they went inside the brick building. The place was clean and smelled like lemons and cheap alcohol. Ulquiorra motioned for Shuhei to follow him to a booth along one wall under a neon sign of a penguin. 

“What’s this place? Looks like Cuddy’s,” he said, referring to a bar back in their hometown that was around the corner from Cifer Confections.

“Might be like that place. Only saw it from the outside. My dad went there a couple times with Steve,” Ulquiorra said. A waitress came up to the table and he ordered himself a beer then waited for Shuhei to order one before he got to the matter at hand. “Thanks for giving me a heads up with Orihime. I got her sorted out and calmed down.”

“That’s good,” Shu replied with a tight-lipped nod.

“I know we are not on the best of terms and we never have been, but I need your help.”

Shuhei tipped his chin to the side. “What do you need my help with? I’d be glad to help you guys if I can…” he trailed off, his voice indicating his interest.

“Get Matsumoto to fall in love with you, report her flaws and dirty secrets to me so I can go to her competition with it?” Ulquiorra paused as the woman put the beers on the table then scampered away after the green eyed man laid a bill on the table. “She has been doing this to me since I was exposed by Nel. You don’t have to get her to fall in love with you. Just get some dirt on her if you can. She seems interested in you.”

Shihei’s lips were twitching at the corners as Ulquiorra laid out his plan to him, and he tried not to laugh at the younger man. When he finished, Shuhei took a deep breath and said, “Impossible.”

Ulquiorra had picked up the beer bottle and set it down promptly. “Nothing is impossible. I fucked up big time with Orihime, and yet, I’m with her. I thought it was impossible that she would forgive me. Why do you say it’s impossible?”

“Look at me, Ulquiorra. I’m a nobody. I’m worse than a nobody. I’m a guy with stupid tattoos all over his face, a string of low-wage jobs and a criminal record. My only achievements in life are a basketball trophy from middle school and a couple of YouTube vids with your wife. Rangiku was trying to get me to dish dirt on you two, or the three of us. That’s the only reason she gave me the time of day. When I tried to talk to her about anything else she did that bullshit fake laugh or tried to flatter me. It was so fake.”

“How about doing a song with me? How about all three of us sing something? You know you’re going to talk to Kisuke Urahara at Soul Society Music Group next week, right?” Ulquiorra asked before taking a drink of the beer. God this stuff was horrible, but he swallowed it. He never liked alcohol much after that one incident. “A couple of YouTube videos won’t impress them.”

Hisagi pressed his lips together. “Don’t you worry that it might send the wrong message? The three of us playing together makes some of what Rangiku said look possible, doesn’t it?”

Ulquiorra mulled over his words for a moment. Shu was right. If they all three did a song together then what Rangiku said could be construed as truth. Yet… “It depends. We’re just helping an old friend out. She did say that. It would make you relevant and you’d be somebody. You really need to get over this idea you’re a loser. Maybe the Shuhei Hisagi from South by Southwest was a loser, but the guy who left Momo was not a loser.” 

Man, this guy was almost as full of shit as Matsumoto. Shuhei looked at his untouched beer and then downed half of it without taking a breath. “I’m still a loser, Cifer. I’m just a loser with prettier friends in prettier places. I’ll do the song though. It’s not my reputation I have to worry about,” he said, then polished off the rest of the bottle and added, “It’s not like I have anything else going on.”

“Let me tell you something Shu. I’m a loser. I’ve been a loser. You know how I live. I rarely leave my house. My wife knows more people and has more friends than I do. Everyone but Orihime is a loser in this town. We’re all just people with prettier friends in a pretty place,” Ulquiorra sighed. He took another drink of the beer before he said, “You can’t deny that you and Orihime create magic when you sing. She and I have a spark when we sing. What would happen if you put all three of us together? If you could become someone Matsumoto wanted to be around, would you consider my plan? All I need is one thing; one picture; one hair out of place on her head to take to Mila Rose.”

Mila Rose? Why did he know that name? Then it came to him. “Dude, I didn't know you were into old porn.”

“What?!” Ulquiorra sputtered. “I don’t watch porn. I mean, I did when I was younger, but what guy doesn’t? What do you mean old porn?”

“Mila Rose. She did a string of studio porn years ago. I’m not sure when it was, but she was doing a lot of it. My uncle’s friends used to swap DVDs. It was kind of gross when you think about it.”

Ugh, that was a nasty mental image. Ulquiorra shook his head. “No. The only way I know this woman is YouTube. After the rumor mill started up after my marriage to Orihime about Grimmjow and I, she reached out to me to get my side of the story after _ItsRan!_ did her little thing about how Grimmjow and I seemingly showed sexual tension towards each other. I’d knock her ass flat with a lawsuit, but she always has pictures and what she says is proof. We got into a fight over creative differences and he was about to knock my ass through the wall.”

Shuhei rolled his eyes. “I can’t imagine that guy caring that much about anything. He acts like a grouchy grandpa. I don’t know how he, Kurosaki, and Hailey make it work…” he was getting sidetracked. “Anyway, all that aside, if I can help you, I will. I owe you guys a lot.”

“You don’t owe us a damn thing, and besides, I think we’re even after today, don’t you agree?” Ulquiorra asked with a knowing glance at the other man. He smirked before taking a long drink from his bottle of beer.

Shuhei looked at him in confusion for a moment before understanding washed over him. “Oh, you mean the sequel to your performance in Austin? I mean, that time you didn't have Salt-n-Pepa playing in the background, but the effect was still rather convincing.”

“Eh, _Push It_ is a good song. I’m not giving my wife crap for her music selection, but yes,” Ulquiorra said, blushing slightly. He remembered that time in Austin. He was trying to take things slow with Orihime and something had pushed him over the edge, making him want to claim Orihime for himself.

“It’s a great song. A classic. Shit. I might be buzzed,” Shuhei said, staring at his empty beer bottle and realizing what he was talking about.

Ulquiorra didn’t drink much, either, and he knew he was a lightweight. “Cheap date, my friend. We should get another round or shall we call Nan and listen to her yell at us for being neanderthals?”

***

Rangiku saw Orihime’s Instagram story and she saw the pic of the redhead, Nanao, that Isane woman, and Hailey in the pool of the Cifer’s home. Hmph. 

She wasn’t invited.

She could pull the same petty prank, but what was the use? It was tiring trying to keep up appearances.

To be honest, Rangiku was just tired. She was tired of being shallow. She was tired of being a gossip whore. She was tired of shitting on people who were supposed to be her friends. Sighing heavily, she looked at her phone screen as Gin’s named flashed onto the display.

“Hello?” she said in a very flat voice.

“Thank you Ran. I’ve doubled the amount I usually send you. You’ve certainly got a buzz going about Ulquiorra and his wife. I hear you got snubbed,” Gin said. “I’ll swing by to pick you up--”

“I’m not feeling well enough to go out,” she said. This was true. She felt like death and wished the world would swallow her up. Sadly it didn’t as she listened to Gin go on about how she had done a lovely job with creating a buzz around Obscuras IV.

She hung up without saying goodbye. 

It had been two days since the video was posted. She was glad that she had beauty vlogs and clothing hauls pre-recorded that she could just upload. She was still digging for dirt on Shuhei Hisagi. He might have been a loser, but he was a loser with a colorful past. He was a loser who Rangiku thought was hot. 

She wanted to see if Hisagi was sculpted under those cargo shorts and the button up shirt. He was a nobody, but if the sex was good she would keep going back. It kept happening with Byakuya Kuchiki. 

When Rangiku was getting her foot into the celebrity world, she hung around Nanao Ise, her roommate at the time. Nan had been a permanent fixture at Soul Society. Rangiku would sometimes lounge around waiting for her. She would mouth off to the music executive. She would smirk at him and flirt with him, exposing her cleavage to him. He seemed indifferent to her advances. 

Until they were alone.

Rangiku wore a tight peachy-pink, mid-thigh length body con dress with a pair of pale pink nude heels that day. She forgot what she said to Byakuya but found herself in his office, pressed against the closed door. All he did was raise an eyebrow and Rangiku was on her knees before him, with his cock in her mouth. Several times over the years they hooked up. All it took was for her to say something in a smart ass tone to him.

Byakuya could fuck. It was funny; when she was presented with the images of Orihime and Byakuya, Rangiku knew they were fake. She went to the man and asked him about it. She wanted to know why he would fuck the redhead.

Byakuya denied it. Orihime was too idealistic for him. She wasn’t enough of a bitch under a layer of sweetness. The redhead was also too young for him.

That was the reason why Rangiku had mentioned the images on a segment but didn’t go into details of them until the exposé. 

Maybe she needed to get out of the house--apartment-- Whatever. 

Maybe a trip to the beach was in order.

Listening to the water was always calming, and she hadn’t been to the ocean in such a long time.

*** 

The week after the barbecue had only one thing on the agenda, apart from walking the dog trio, and that was Shuhei’s meeting with Orihime and Kisuke Urahara, but that wasn’t until Wednesday. In the meantime he had fuck-all to do for most of his days, and as much as he liked the pups, it was getting repetitive. So he talked to Ichigo about stuff to do and was told to meet him on Monday at the beach.

Ulquiorra told Shuhei to use his car because he had no plans to go anywhere that day. Shu packed up a towel, some sunblock, some water, and his headphones and got a spot in the late morning. 

It was now two in the afternoon, and Ichigo was nowhere to be found. Shuhei found that he didn't really mind, actually. After living with Momo for over a year and now the Cifers, the quiet and solitude was a welcome treat. He had his eyes closed, headphones on, sun on his skin, and was humming along with _It Must Have Been Love_ by Roxette, while lying in the sand, more relaxed than he had remembered feeling in forever.

Rangiku found herself on the beach near where Orihime lived. She felt like she should have gone to apologize to the woman, but the damage was done, and what would it look like if she did say she was sorry? Rumors would fly and she’d be branded as losing her touch. Spreading out a blanket on the sand and removing her cut offs, the crop top and flats, she sprayed sunblock on herself and laid down on the fabric, making sure her sunglasses stayed in place. 

She kept hearing some music but it wasn’t her phone making the noise. The beach was fairly busy since it was the middle of July. She shrugged it off, but after five minutes of the hum continuing, she sat up and looked around. Behind those designer brand sunglasses, her eyes narrowed as she stared at some tattooed guy… Wait a minute. Rangiku lifted her sunglasses.

“Hisagi?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

He had decent headphones on, and didn't hear the woman’s voice. Instead, moved by the classic song, he began to sing along with the lyrics, “It must have been love, but it’s over now, it must have been good, but I lost it somehow…” a bit louder than he would have if he was aware of his own volume.

Looking around, the blonde found a small pebble and launched it at the guy. He wasn’t that far away from her. The rock hit his stomach after he started singing. She felt bad again. He had a nice voice. “Hisagi!” she said in a louder tone.

He flinched and sat up as the stone hit him, looking both directions and pulling the headphones off. It took a moment for his eyes to readjust to the light, and when he did, the first thing he saw was a pair of tits barely held in check by a white bikini. He had to swallow and drag his eyes up to their owner’s face.

Shit.

“Uh, hi Rangiku,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. He swallowed again and blinked, then took a deep breath and looked at the ocean for a second. What the fuck was he doing? It hadn’t been _that_ long since he’d gotten laid, and since he’d come to LA he was surrounded by women with incredible bodies. But this one had a particular appeal that he found hard to deny, and silently thanked Ulquiorra for setting his secret task on him.

He looked back at her a moment later and said, “What brings you here?” in a significantly more casual tone.

“I’m trying to enjoy myself but you started singing,” she said to him. She waved him over. “Come over here and share my spot so I don’t have to yell.”

He looked over at where she sat and raised an eyebrow. He was inclined to tell her to move her ass over to him, if for no other reason than to see said ass better. However, he was supposed to ingratiate himself to her, so he stood and picked up his towel and cooler. Shuhei stretched an arm up over his head and bent a bit to the side. He knew what he was doing. He knew how defined his abs looked when he did that. “Yeah, okay. Need a water? I’m gonna have one,” he said as he finally came over and dropped his towel beside her. 

Rangiku’s mouth went dry as she watched this tattooed nobody’s body. Holy hell. How had Orihime passed up on him--besides the tattoos? He had an awesome physique. Her brain bid her goodbye as he sat down beside her. It took several seconds before she found her voice and picked up her pale baby pink water bottle. ”No thanks,” the blonde said. “I brought my own. And I’m here because...” She was going to give him a bullshit excuse but Rangiku knew she was tired of it. “I needed to relax; somewhere to think.”

“Thinking is overrated,” he said, opening a bottle of water and touching it to hers and murmuring, “cheers,” before tipping it back and taking long, slow gulps. After several seconds he recapped it and laid back down. “I’m here because I need to stop thinking.” Mystery was a good tactic, right? Chicks liked unraveling mysteries.

“Thinking might be overrated but we’re required to do it from time to time,” she said, turning her attention to the water in front of her, letting her sunglasses fall back into place. “How’s life going?” This was okay. She was talking to him like a normal human. It had been a while since she had felt like that.

“The truth?” he asked, tilting his face toward her and shading his eyes with a hand.

She glanced at him before nodding. “You don’t seem like you fit in here or that you like it. I don’t know. I make a lot of assumptions about people.”

“Eh,” he said with a small shrug of his shoulders, closing his eyes and facing the sun again. “I don’t think I really fit in anywhere. I’m in the process of figuring myself out, if you want to know. I probably should have done it when I was younger, but I was kind of caught up in the flow.” He was quiet for a moment, then turned his face back to her. “What about you? What do you need to think about?”

“C’mon, I’m sure you know who I am. I’m a gossip vlogger. I think I need to rethink my priorities,” Rangiku said after several moments. She decided to lay things out on the table. Even if this guy told everyone what she said, no one would believe him. She was too schooled in putting on a different mask in front of the public. “I know I pissed Orihime off, but I have a job to do. It’s life. As a social media influencer, I piss people off.”

“I do know what you do. After I met you I looked up your YouTube channel.” Shuhei didn't put any weight into this revelation. “Orihime was not pleased. I wasn’t pleased. I don’t know if you understand how much Ulquiorra loves her. Not only that, you don’t understand how much…” He knit his brows. This wasn’t his business to tell her. “Anyway, even if it’s just gossip, it plays on people’s fears and memories. He asked me to leave for a couple days because it was just too much or a reminder of the shit that happened a few years ago. I know you didn't know them then. Actually…” He got up on an elbow and looked down at her. “You were the one who cleared Orihime’s name back then, so I guess you have your pluses and minuses.” He smiled at her then. “Orihime is a puppy though. She’ll forgive you.”

Bingo. Rangiku knew Orihime wasn’t happy, because she never texted her back. The redhead seemed always to be happy to have lunch with her or go shopping. “I understand how much Ulq loves Orihime. Just because I’m a fake bitch, doesn’t mean I don’t understand emotions or love. I’m not a psychopath. I’ve interacted with them both enough to know they’re stupid and in love.”

He raised a brow at her. “You do, huh? Maybe. Maybe not,” he said and laid back down. “Anyway, if you give up the gossip trade, what else do you want to do?”

“Huh? Give it up? Ha!” Rangiku threw her head back and laughed. “I’m not sure I can leave it. I have several guest spots on E but… I really have no clue.”

“What did you want to do when you were a kid?”

The mention of her being a kid, made that mask come down. She didn’t want to be reminded of her parents or her cold childhood. “I don’t remember.”

“No?” He chuckled. “I just wanted to… Huh. I can’t even tell you just one thing. I wanted to play basketball. I wanted to be a pro Lego builder. I wanted to be a carpenter and a professional gamer. I wanted to direct movies. I think at one point I wanted to work at Build-A-Bear Workshop. I’m not sure,” he said, chuckling. He was only partially kidding.

Rangiku looked at him and then turned her head away from him. Her parents expected her to be perfect. Get good grades Rangiku. Get involved in the right social circles Rangiku. Play the right sports; don’t gain too much weight; don’t disgrace us.

It was maddening at times.

“I don’t know. My parents seemed to have things set in stone for me,” she replied after several minutes passed by. This wasn’t like her to be unhappy about things. Usually a shopping trip or a pedicure could lift her mood. When she saw the sixteen-thousand dollars sitting in her account, Rangiku felt like a horrible human being.

Shuhei let out a long exhale. “My mom didn't have very high hopes for me. She wanted me to graduate from high school. She didn’t want me to knock anybody up. She wanted me to stay out of prison. Technically I did not fail her; I only went to county jail. I’m sure you know all this, you seem like you do your research,” he said with a slightly tense smile.

“Yeah, I’ve done a lot of research on you. For the past two weeks, my team has been uncovering things,” Rangiku said. She still wasn’t looking at him. “I still have to do interviews with people. Why are you telling me this if you know what I do for a living?”

He smirked. “You may as well get your information direct from the source. I can imagine the kind of people you have lined up to interview about me, and they have no small ax to grind, I assure you. So go ahead. Ask me anything,” he said, the truth behind his own words becoming very clear to him as their conversation progressed.

Rangiku’s head turned so fast she felt her neck crack. “Ask you anything? I--I--I can’t! I don’t have my notes. You can’t catch me off guard like that and just expect me to ask questions rapid fire. The only way I avoid lawsuits is that I get my facts straight before I attack. But, I can remember that I’m supposed to contact Momo Hinamori and a Peter? Also some Isuki or something… Kira. I’m trying to get an audience or a phone call with Nel. I’ve been wanting to pick her brain since the whole OIV thing.”

Shuhei scoffed. Any hint of attraction to her, beyond just that she had a hot body, just washed out with the waves. He sat up and looked at her and said, “Let me save you a lot of trouble. Don’t talk to Nel. She is a pathological liar and will say anything to get whatever crazy wish she wants on any given day. I can tell you about her if you want. I can also tell you that Momo is my ex-girlfriend. I left her about a month ago after she threw me out of our apartment because I wasn’t ready to settle down with her. So she’s pissed off at me. Then there is Kira. He’s my best friend but I’m sure he’s pissed I left him in Ohio. Peter is Shelly Petersen. That’s my mom. Any other questions?”

She seemed to hit a sore spot with him. Rangiku frowned as she studied him from behind her sunglasses before taking them off. A thought was naggling at her brain and she decided to just say it. “Are you ready to settle down with her now?”

“No. I was never going to be. We’re not right together. I always knew, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway,” he answered honestly in a defeated tone.

“Would you be willing to give me a private interview?” Boy the idiot statements were strong today with her. Here she was showing kindness to a stranger and giving this guy a glimpse of the real her.

“What are we doing now?” He asked, trying, but not succeeding in not coming off as glib. “I mean if you want a real interview with cameras and stuff… I don’t know.”

She raised one microbladed eyebrow then shrugged. “I need to record things. I need to get all the facts to do my big segments on up and coming celebrities,” she said. Rangiku sighed. It wasn’t like she could force this guy to do it. “You told me last time we spoke you were no one; a nobody. You’ve got a nice body for a nobody.”

“I can show you gyms full of nobodies with nice bodies, Rangiku,” he replied, softening his tone as Ulquiorra’s favor floated through his mind. “I’ll tell you what, how about we go out for lunch or something someday and we can talk some more, and then you can decide if I’m a nobody or if I’m wrong.”

A strange feeling started in Rangiku’s stomach. It was the anticipation she felt every time she was around Byakuya or sassed someone with more power and status than her. “If you want we can--” She paused and bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to invite him to her apartment. There was no way she could be seen in public with him, though. People would talk. “We can have lunch at my place or yours… whenever your hosts aren’t there.”

Shuhei laughed. “You’re funny. Ulq acts like he’s under house arrest. He only leaves if Hime drags him out or if he has work. Anyway, don’t want to be seen out with scary face tattoos guy?” He looked over and saw the familiar face people made when he brought it up. “I get it. I look like some kind of mental case. What’s your assessment?”

She let the look stay there for a second or two longer before rolling her eyes. “It’s not that. You seem like the type of guy who doesn’t want the attention. Talking to you somewhere privately might be more comfortable than being in some public area with cameras. People can also overhear us and break the story early. Or,” she paused again. Rangiku couldn’t believe she was going to say this to someone. She was a ballbuster when she wanted to be, but inside she was just someone who wanted someone to understand her and love her. “Maybe I want to get you alone to see more of you.”

“What, like naked?” Shuhei asked in a flat tone, not sure if she was making fun of him or trying to bullshit him.

“Maybe, but you don’t seem interested in that either,” Rangiku said before putting her sunglasses back on. “Hey Ichigo!” she called out, seeing the orange-haired musician walking towards the area where Shuhei had been laying. The blonde woman stood up, bending over to pick up her clothes where they lay on the corner of the blanket she had laid out. She turned back to Shuhei and smiled. “If you would be interested in giving me an interview I’m sure Orihime would give you my number.”


	6. Chapter 6

Shuhei sat in Kisuke Urahara’s office and listened to him go on and on about the magic of the songs he and Orihime had done back in his Ohio apartment, but for some reason he couldn’t focus on what the blond man was saying. His mind kept drifting back to the vision of a different blonde, one bent over in front of him in a white bikini.

“So, do you want to do it? Or do you need to think about it?” a seemingly disembodied female voice asked him.

“Thinking is overrated,” he replied softly.

“Excellent! I’ll have my people draw up the paperwork and we can re-record _Photograph_ next week. I want to get a few done before you hit the road, but you two are such naturals, it should be no problem. I’ve got to run, I’ll be in touch!” Urahara said and left the other two in his office.

“Uh, Shu? Are you sure about this?” Orihime asked him.

“Sure about what?” Hisagi replied, finally focused.

“You just agreed to a recording contract and to go on tour with me.”

“I WHAT?”

***

The silver-haired man smiled as Rangiku walked inside of his mansion after him. They had just arrived from some red carpet affair. Espada Records was providing the soundtrack for a new movie and it would premiere world wide tomorrow. Rangiku had not paid attention to the plot or moving images on the big screen. Her mind kept going back to Shuhei Hisagi and his body, his singing voice, and those eyes. They held a hint of danger in them. 

She sighed, setting her clutch down on a table that sat behind one of Gin’s couches. Her thoughts had been circling around Shuhei since she left the beach. Why would she think about him constantly?

“You seem distracted, Ran,” Gin said, his tone light and a smile on his face.

“A bit,” she replied. Rangiku avoided the man’s gaze and shifted uncomfortably. Yeah she probably needed to find a new career choice. She was tired of being arm candy. Gin didn’t buy things for her, he bought them to inflate his own ego and to claim that he owned them.

“Want to tell me about it?”

“Gin, we just had a lovely evening and you want to ruin it by having a heart to heart?” Rangiku laughed in her fake way and shook her head. It wouldn’t do to become emotional right now. The man was a snake and would find out all he could to use as blackmail.

Gin wasn’t a bad guy. He had good intentions… sometimes. He never hit her, but he didn’t care about her wellbeing. Plus Rangiku still harbored ill feelings towards his associate. What Aizen had done was traumatizing.

“I need to get home and feed the cat.”

“Ash is still alive?” Gin asked.

The woman scoffed. Sometimes she forgot she had a cat because the feline was old and she slept most of the day only to come out from whatever nice spot she had found to eat and get a drink from her water dish. Ash had been found when Rangiku was thirteen. She begged her parents to keep the cat and they relented without argument.

Now twelve years later the cat was the only thing that the blonde took comfort in. “I mean I could take an hour to spend time with you,” she said smiling at Gin.

When Gin smirked, Rangiku started hating herself more.

***

“Do you think it’s a good idea? Is Ulquiorra going to cut my balls off?” Shuhei asked Orihime later that evening. Her husband was at an event for Espada Records. He rarely went to those things without his wife, but it was an OIV appearance tonight and he didn’t want to have to hang around and make small talk with people afterwards. If his wife came, that would be an inevitability.

Orihime sighed. Shuhei had been a nervous wreck since he agreed to sign his life away and she’d spent the day trying to reassure him, but she was getting tired of it. “Well you didn’t sign anything yet. We can talk to him when he gets home, Okay? Relax. Murder is not allowed in my house.”

Laughing mirthlessly, Shu said, “Does he know that?”

The man in question happened to get home at that moment. Whines and claws scraping against tile flooring announced his arrival.

“Hello Prinny. Hello Donnie. Hello King! Get down Princess! God dammit! Fine, go outside!” Ulquiorra yelled before the door slammed. The man huffed as he came into the kitchen and was untying the bow tie he wore. “Hello Woman. Shuhei. I don’t why I got a dog that is the size of a tiny car. She’s dumb and furry.”

“Don’t talk about my baby girl that way,” Orihime admonished with a smile as she approached him. After she reached him her arms went around his waist and she pecked his lips. “Welcome home, by the way. You look dapper. How was the event?”

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow as he kissed his wife back and stared at her for a second. “It was a boring action movie. Obscuras IV only contributed one song to the soundtrack. Two, if you count the one Grimmjow did featuring me. All he did was bitch because he couldn’t drink at the theater. However…” he trailed off with a slight smile on his face. “Gin brought Matsumoto with him.”

A slight sneer marred Orihime’s expression. She was still upset with the blonde woman. “Why does that please you?” she asked suspiciously.

“She looked like hell. Dead eyes and bags under them,” Ulquiorra said. “Something is afoot with her.”

Orihime pressed her lips together. Despite being angry with the blogger, hearing that she was looking so poorly didn’t make her happy. She sighed and decided to change the subject. “So, Shu has big news,” she said, not meaning to throw him under the bus.

The older man’s head had snapped up at the mention of Rangiku, but he quickly looked down when Orihime brought up his news. He really didn’t want to deal with another jealous Ulquiorra incident like at the barbecue.

Ulquiorra glanced at the man in question. “Well? What is it? Did he find out Momo is knocked up or he found a woman? He’s decided to become part of Ivan’s brothel?” 

Shuhei stood up from the couch and gave Ulquiorra a guarded, but unimpressed stare. He moved his body so that the large piece of furniture separated him from the other man before answering, “No. Apparently I agreed to a recording deal with Soul Society and…” he trailed off, really really not wanting to disclose the rest.

The lead singer of Obscuras IV looked impressed. “And? They don’t sign losers Shu. Good job man.”

Shuhei scratched the back of his neck and smiled uncomfortably, murmuring, “Uh, thanks. Well, the other thing is I am recording duets from Orihime’s YouTube and I’m going on her tour with her.” He blurted it out as fast as possible while taking a few careful steps backward.

“What? What?” Ulquiorra turned around and looked at his wife. Maybe he had heard the other man wrong. Nope, the expression on her face told him that was the truth. “For fuck sakes, Orihime! I can’t—it’ll be fine. We will adapt tour rules.”

Orihime sighed. Shuhei looked between them in confusion. “Tour rules?”

Orihime ignored him and said to Ulquiorra calmly, “He’ll be opening for me and he’ll join my act for one or two songs. It’s to help promote him as a soloist.”

The green eyed man also ignored Shuhei as he stepped closer to his wife. “I don’t care. We had a misunderstanding on my first tour. I don’t want anything like that to happen again. FaceTime every night. He gets his own bus and you can expect me to show up at least once a month, maybe twice if I really miss you.”

Orihime smiled at him. “You know you can always ride along and fly back for whenever you have things going on here. Nan can take care of the kids and housesit.” Her smile dropped a bit though as her hand found his lapel. “Still don’t trust me, though?”

“I trust you, you know I do. You also know I love you entirely too much,” he said before grabbing Orihime’s hand and intertwining their fingers together. “I can’t deal with your fur daughter. Prin doesn’t listen to me.”

“So you’ll think about?” she asked with a growing smile. She really didn’t want to go on tour without him. This was a long one.

A sigh went through him. After OIV was done recording this album there were plans for them to do a world tour. Ulquiorra was dreading the thought of it. “I’ll talk to Nan and Riruka. Are you taking Riruka or did you find another stylist?”

“Rukia introduced me to another one, I forget her name. Kiki? Kirio, actually, I think. She’s a bit more mature.”

Ulquiorra smiled at his wife before glancing at Shuhei. “We can let him have Riruka or is Kisuke not bothering with it? Pre-album makeovers are a bitch.”

“Uh, we didn’t talk about it yet, nothing’s been signed… What do you mean, makeovers?” he asked with a distrusting edge to his voice.

“Usually the company wants you polished or looking decent. Haircut, get a tattoo; maybe a new piercing or twelve.” Ulquiorra smirked, “maybe they’ll have you bulk up more or change your entire wardrobe.”

“That explains a lot,” Shu said absently, giving Ulq a once-over. He always dressed like such a nerd growing up; it wasn’t until high school that he started to branch out into piercings. “I am curious what they want to do with me, now.”

The other male rolled his eyes. “Soul Society doesn’t interfere much with their acts. The most they had Orihime do was a trim and add more sexiness to her stage outfits. Husband approved, of course.” He grabbed Orihime’s ass with his free hand and then untangled their fingers. “I am getting out of this damn tux and taking a shower.”

Shuhei rolled his eyes as Orihime giggled. They were too much, sometimes. It did make him feel wistful, though, and he nodded. “I’m gonna go to bed, then. Good night,” he said, not expecting a response. 

When he got into his room, he flopped down on the bed, wishing he had someone to talk to. There was Ichigo and his people, but he didn’t feel that close to them yet. He could call Kira, but he was sure his old friend didn’t want his good news rubbed in his face.

He sighed. Ulq had gotten Rangiku’s number for him. She was stylish. Maybe she would like talking makeovers with him. It was a nice in, anyway.

  * Hey. It’s Shu. You busy?



Rangiku was sitting in her car in Gin’s driveway when his text came through. It had to be Shuhei. She felt disgusting and wanted to take a shower. Tonight’s act of sex wasn’t the worst but she wasn’t interested in it. She has spent the entire time on top of Gin thinking about how she could change her life. 

She hadn’t gotten anywhere with her thoughts. 

  * About to drive home. Why?



He smiled when she responded right away. 

  * Need to pick your brain. Text me when you get home? I’ll be up.



Looking at the message, Rangiku tried to ignore that feeling in her body. Shuhei Hisagi was a story and nothing more. He was going to be an expose to expand on what happened with OIV and Vega Highwell. It took her almost forty-five minutes to drive from Beverly Hills to Sherman Oaks. Stupid traffic.

When she got into the apartment, Ash was meowing her head off. “I know the food is late. I’m sorry Ash. C’mon let’s get the kitty some treats.”

It was about another hour later when she had showered and changed into leggings and a thin hoodie. “Oh crap. I forgot to text him back,” Rangiku said to no one. Well Ash looked at her with disdain but she was a cat.

  * Sorry just got settled in. What’s up?



Shuhei had spent his time as he waited listening to unintelligible flirty voices from the living room and hall, which stopped after he heard Ulquiorra shout, “Out!” Shortly thereafter came the now familiar moans and bangs from the room downstairs. He rolled his eyes and opened his door.

Usually, Donnie the corgi was Ulquiorra‘s shadow. But being kicked out of the master bedroom, the little dog came to visit Shuhei. The guest scratched the dog behind the ears for awhile and then rolled over onto his side. Donnie decided he was not done with attention and plopped his head down on top of Shuhei’s, making him laugh. He had been taking selfies of him and the dog when he got Rangiku’s text. He sent one of the pics to her with the message,

  * like my new look?



The blonde woman laughed as she saw the photo. He did look cuter with the dog. She wanted to send a picture of herself and Ash but that meant putting on makeup and making sure her hair was perfect. 

It was tiring her out just thinking about it.

  * Cute. Does Ulquiorra know you’ve kidnapped his son?



Shuhei chuckled.

  * it’s our secret. Shhhhhhh lol



She shook her head at his words with a smile on her face.

  * What did you need? Remember thinking is overrated and my brain is Swiss Cheese from all the gossiping I do.



He frowned.

  * I very much doubt your brains are holey. You’re smarter than me. That’s why I need your advice… also expertise. You know how to look put together. Hypothetically, if I were to undergo a makeover, what would you recommend?



Oooh, Mr. Nobody with a Nice Body wanted her opinion? This Rangiku could do. After looking at the photos of Shuhei she had found, the blonde studied him with a designer’s eye. 

  * Haircut. Learn how to use lip balm, no one likes kissing dry lips. It’s not bad but you can always improve on that. Um, how do you dress on the daily?



He read her message and smirked. She’s been looking at his pics? Another wouldn’t hurt. He pushed Donnie off his face and stretched out. The basketball shorts he wore, sans underwear, did nothing to hide the outline of his dick. He took the shirtless selfie and sent it to her with the line,

  * like this but with a t shirt or something 



  
The blonde’s eyebrows rose as she saw the selfie pop onto the screen. Well then. He wasn’t shy or bashful at all. At least parts of him weren’t. He had no right looking that good and distracting her like this.

  * Hmmm. Might want to put a leash on that thing first.



What as she on about? He looked at the picture and blushed. The sounds from downstairs had had a marginal effect on him.

  * Heh, sorry about that. I usually wear undies in addition to T-shirts



A soft scoff left her lips. Who did he think he was talking to? Rangiku knew guys liked showing off. With a sigh, she got out of bed and rummaged through her dresser where she kept all her lingerie before deciding on a dusty lavender silk and lace nightie. 

Peeling off the thin hoodie and carefully slipping the nightwear over her head, Rangiku grabbed her phone before slipping back under the blankets. She left her leggings on. Shuhei might have been hot but he hadn’t done anything to get almost naked pics.

Ash gave a soft meow as Rangiku picked her up and set her on her nearly flat stomach. Then she laid on her back and took a photo of the cat and made sure her lingerie and tits were in the shot.

  * I usually insist on dinner before dessert. ;)



A soft growl escaped his lips when the sight of the blonde’s body came into view. She wanted to up the ante? Okay.

  * Cute little pussy-cat you’ve got there. What’s her name?



He bit his lip and tapped out another message.

  * Are you asking me out?



Maybe she wasn’t but it was worth a shot.

Rangiku looked at Ash and chuckled. “Should we tell him your name?”

  
The gray cat was asleep.

  * Ash and perhaps I am accepting your offer to take me to lunch or “something”.



Score. 

  * Does your cat have a busy schedule tomorrow?



Wait. Wait. Wait. Was he flirting with her? “What am I doing, Ash?” She reached down with a manicured hand, fake nails glittering in the lamp light to scratch the cat under her chin. With a sigh, Rangiku checked her calendar. She had a meeting with her team for next week's posting schedule and hauls in the morning. That was followed by a workout then shopping. How on earth could she possibly fit in a potential booty call? Maybe it would be a free lunch too.

  * I’m free after 11 am. I’m free rn until 9am



Huh. Was she suggesting what he thought she was suggesting? 

  * I’m almost always free. For the time being, anyway. I can stay up all night if you want.



Hmmm. Rangiku giggled, feeling her face become hot at just the thought of having access to this man and his body all night. 

Okay, hold the fuck up. What the hell was she thinking?

It would be a bad thing to suggest that he come to her place. It would be a bad thing to suggest driving out to Malibu.

This guy was a story! Not a love interest!

It didn’t matter. Rangiku wanted some type of deeper connection—something.

  * I need my beauty sleep but nice that you can go all night.



Well, it wasn’t a flat-out refusal. He took it as a win.

  * I very much doubt you need sleep for beauty. Also, it is nice. You should try it sometime ;)



What had gotten into him? He was never so aggressive with anyone before. What was it about Rangiku Matsumoto that made him fall into this confident, assertive version of himself? This wasn’t about Ulquiorra’s request. This was something else.

It wasn’t like with his first girlfriend. That middle-school crush was just the first time he thought a girl was pretty and had the balls to talk to her. Those two girlfriends in high school weren’t much different, except they had been the ones to pursue him. The other girls he hooked up with just kind of fell into his lap.

The only other person he had ever pursued was downstairs fucking the landlord.

This chick with the tits and the gray cat and the gossip vlog had him acting like some kind of playboy. When she found out who he really was, she’d probably drop him, but for some reason, he wasn’t too worried about that.

  * The offer is on the table, just saying.



Rangiku was already putting on mascara and some tinted lip balm. Ash had been placed to the side and she had put the same hoodie on over the nightie. It looked like a lacy camisole. She picked up her phone, her designer bag and her keys. She couldn’t believe she was doing this as she slipped that pad with her notes on it into the bag.

  * Yeah? Where? Do you want me to come to the Cifer residence?



Oh. Shit. He should have thought this through. He had no confidence that she would take him up on this. He hopped out of bed and started throwing a bag together. Underwear. Another pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He threw on a t-shirt and looked up hotels. He didn't want to piss off his hosts. He looked up a sketchy-looking one right on the outskirts of town and called. It was a Wednesday, of course they had a vacancy.

  * Good Nite Inn, Calabasas. The room is under Hisagi.



His next course of action was swiping Ulquiorra’s keys and writing him a note:

_Dude. I’m using your car. I’m doing you “a favor”. You’re fucking welcome, lol._

Then he got in the car and stopped at a 24-hour drug store for supplies and got his ass to the edge of Malibu.


	7. Chapter 7

Rangiku was nervous as she looked at the building. If she was smart she would have turned her fucking car around and locked herself in her apartment. She would have blocked his number. But she didn’t. 

The blonde got out of her car after grabbing her stuff and made sure it was locked. She took a deep breath as she walked up to the entrance.

  * What room? I don’t want to have to talk to anyone.



He was already inside the room. It was on the first floor and had exterior access if he let her in a gate.

  * Go around the right side of the building and I’ll meet you at the gate.



He looked in the mirror and checked his breath. He had taken her advice and picked up some lip balm at the drugstore, and slapped some on. It tasted like cherries. He walked out of the room and to the gate to wait for her.

She was aware of how her tits moved as she walked around to the gate. Rangiku knew she should have put on a bra or something. As soon as she saw Shuhei standing there with his hands in his pockets, her hand started shaking. She had to project perfection. With a slight tilt of her chin, the blonde calmed down enough to greet him with a smile.

He gave her a lazy smile as she approached, looking her up and down. When she reached the gate, he reached across it, lightly grabbing the zipper pull of her hoodie with two fingers. “This is cute,” he murmured, his smile stretching into a grin as he opened the gate for her. “Come on, it’s this way.”

Oh. Oh boy. The jolt of anticipation that went through her body and settled in between her thighs. That smile. That little thing he did with her hoodie. Immediately her nerves were frayed. How the hell had this man manage to get under her skin? “Okay,” she managed to say in a shaky voice.

He noticed her tone, and turned his head and shoulders to look at her as he led the way down the open-air corridor. “Nervous?” he asked with a chuckle, casually taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze before turning back and pulling her along. “Don’t be. You don’t have to prove anything to me. We can just hang out if you have second thoughts.” For some reason the idea of that didn't bother him. He would be fine either way.

That made her feel slightly better. The nervousness didn’t go away though. She could feel how rough his hand felt against hers. Gin’s hands were soft. So was the other music executive’s hands. “You’re not nervous?”

“Should I be?” he asked as they reached the door. After he unlocked it, he opened it and stepped aside for her to enter, saying, “Maybe I should be, but you know what I say, thinking is overrated.”

Rangiku felt her face heating up as she walked past him. She put her bag on the small table and looked at Shuhei. He seemed confident and collected. She might have appeared all together but inside was anything but. “Yeah, thinking is overrated,” she replied.

He closed the door and turned to her. He could tell that she was not ready for what they had talked about over texts. She was putting on a cool front. What was she trying to compensate for? He took a step toward her and hooked a finger under her chin, tilting it up so he could look down into her eyes, which he did for a long moment, his eyes narrowing as he gauged her aura. He took another step toward her, so there was very little space between them, still looking down at her, then gave a small smile. “You don’t mean that,” he finally said in a soft voice, then dropped his finger. He walked over to the bed and flopped down on it. “Make yourself comfortable. I promised you all night,” he said, smiling at her as he put his elbows up, hands clasped behind his head, and crossed his legs at the ankles, assuming a relaxed, non-threatening position.

It was suddenly a lot warmer in the room for her. Turning her body to the side, Rangiku pulled the zipper of the hoodie she wore down, shrugging the jacket off her shoulders. When it was off her arms, she folded it then laid it on top of her purse. She could do this. She was Rangiku of _ItsRan!_

She turned and looked at him. “I don’t think you mean it either.”

“I could. Depends on the context. Come on, sit and relax. I’m not gonna bite ya. Oh!” He hopped up and went to the mini fridge. “Want some water or ice tea or something? I got a few things at the drugstore.”

She tried not to laugh as his enthusiasm. It was cute. He seemed eager. She had to wonder why. Instead of walking over to the bed, Rangiku walked up behind him. “What did you get?” The question came out in a slightly sultry tone. She felt more at ease now that he had made her laugh.

He looked over his shoulder at her and smirked. “Well, I got some very adulty beverages, like water and black tea and oooh, what’s this? Diet cola. Oh yes. Very adulty.” He stood up and let her see what was in the fridge. “I said all night. That means caffeine and hydration. I set myself up to win. There’s even Gatorade in there, I think.” He was kidding now, just teasing her for flipping between moods. She was cute, when she wasn’t trying to manipulate him.

Part of him wondered whether this was her A-level manipulation, but he shrugged it off. If it was, it was.

“Oh, so you didn’t get anything else of the adult sort?” Rangiku teased back. She stood close to him, her heart beating rapidly. 

“No. Didn't want to send the wrong message,” he said, gentle but firm, looking at her face. “I’m going to have this very adulty black tea. Help yourself to whatever you want,” he said, crowding her a bit, putting his hand on her lower back as he ducked into the low fridge, then backing off and resuming his lounging position on the bed.

_ Hmph. _

He saw the displeasure on her face. “What?” he asked as if he had been scolded. “Do you wish I had brought something harder?” He smirked at her after he said that, his eyes glancing down toward his crotch. He was going to get himself slapped for sure, he thought, trying not to laugh. Oh well, it would probably be worth it. He enjoyed how she seemed to flirt and retract. It kept him interested.

If he hadn’t bought condoms, then Rangiku wouldn’t sleep with him. She didn’t even let Gin stick his dick in her without one. There would be no children in her future. She walked over to the bed and sat down beside Shuhei. “I should have brought the _pussy_ _cat_ so you could have met her.”

“Ooh, ouch,” he said, acting like her words had wounded him. “I should have expected it though, you know how fickle cats can be.” He chuckled and looked over at her. “So, if she _ had  _ come over, do you think she would like me?”

“No, you didn’t bring any treats, did you?”

Okay, now he was at a loss. “What kind of treats did she have in mind? I mean, I would probably love your cat, but I’m not going to jail for it,” he laughed nervously, thinking she meant drugs or something.

Rangiku’s smooth face wrinkled slightly with confusion. Why would he go to jail for condoms? “You’re over eighteen right? Why wouldn’t you buy—”

Ooooh. Duh. “ _ Those _ kind of treats. I always bring those kind of treats, Ran,” he said, eyeing her from the side. “I don’t usually advertise it though.” 

He then sat up and turned to face her, sitting cross-legged. “I don’t usually do anything like this though, if I’m being honest. You are definitely a first, for me,” he said and looked down at his lap, blushing slightly. Here it was. That confident swagger was a flirtation method. Now that she had explicitly stated what she was here for, he felt a bit shy.

“I’ve never done this before either. I mean, I’ve thought about it. It’s never been a thing though,” she said, feeling self-conscious. Rangiku felt stupid. She had been so dumb to think she could have had something with this guy. She brought her knees to her chest and put her arms on top of them. “Sorry.”

Watching her close in on herself made something in his chest burn. No. This was a strong, self-possessed woman. No one should make her feel small or ashamed. Those were the thoughts going through his mind as he leaned forward, bringing his face down to hers, and whispered, “Don’t be,” before pressing his lips to hers.

They were so soft. Much softer than Momo’s. Plusher than Orihime’s. That burning in his chest quickly raced down his spine, and he found it hard to breathe. He pulled back and swallowed. “Ahem. Right. Um…” his face was turning red. What was this?

Rangiku froze at for a blink of an eye then melted under that kiss. She had to bite her lip to keep from whining. This was a guy who probably knew what he wanted but didn’t know how to go about getting it. Shuhei had probably been beaten down all of his life. Someone probably had oppressed him to where he couldn’t be a confident individual. 

There was something more than just anticipation building inside of her. Her arms unfolded and Rangiku reached for the man again. His whisper had sent shivers through her body and she wanted to feel his lips against hers. The touch was fleeting before she pulled away and used her nails to lightly scratch the sides of his neck.

Shuhei’s eyes darkened as he watched her face intently, looking for any sign of uncertainty. His lips were parted and the breath that blew through them was hot as he studied the blonde. He felt hot. This was hot. He reached a hand over his head and pulled his shirt off before sliding his hands up Rangiku’s arms, grasping firmly right under her shoulders, then pulling him to her so their noses touched. “You can tell me to stop anytime.” The whisper was slightly harsh, his breath fanning over her chin. He paused a moment longer and then closed his eyes and tilted his face slightly, meeting her lips again. This time he pressed into them more intently, his tongue tasting the pink surface and pulling her lower lip in between his. A quiet, satisfied groan escaped through his nostrils and then he pulled back, wanting to see the effect he had on her.

This time she did whine. It was soft and she hated how needy it made her feel. She knew she probably looked a mess. She had never felt this way with any of her lovers before. Gin didn’t make her feel like this with flushed skin and a fast heartbeat. Having sex with him was a job. Byakuya knew how to get her off but there was nothing behind the action. It was just fucking. This was something different. “Okay,” she said in the same shaky voice.

His breath came out in an involuntary whoosh. “Okay,” he said, relaxing the hold he had on her arms and letting one hand make its way to her throat, ghosting around the front and wrapping around the back, the tips of his fingers curling into the hair at the nape of her neck. He watched her face as his other hand smoothed down the outside of her arm, down to her hand, and picked it up, putting it on his chest. “You’ve got my attention, Ran,” he said in a soft, growly murmur, the racing beats of his heart drowning out the sound of his own voice in his ears. He left her hand there and used his to hold onto her waist, guiding her into his lap. He pulled her face to his by the back of the neck and kissed her again, his tongue nudging between her lips. When they parted, a growl rumbled deep in his throat, and he went for it, hands kneading the flesh they held and his tongue tasting hers, moving against it in time with his breath.

Holy shit. Under Rangiku’s hand was a hard, muscled chest. Neither men she had sexual relationships with were this cut and sculpted. He was just taking what he wanted, guiding the blonde woman along with actions instead of stern looks and sly smiles. She could feel in between her legs grow warm and she shifted her hips, needing to relieve the feeling of lust settling there. “Shu,” she murmured after their kiss. It was definitely getting warmer in the room.

“Ran?” he breathed, the hand behind her neck loosening and sliding down her back, the one on her waist trailing its way over her hip and down to her thigh, where it rubbed with gentle pressure from nearly her knee to her hip and back down, his thumb trailing close to her inner thigh. “Is there something wrong?” he murmured, finding her eyes, but not stopping his hands. He didn't expect for her to say that there was.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. That was hot. She should have put on a pair of panties before leaving her apartment. Had she put them on, she could remove these leggings. It would be much cooler if she could remove her clothes. “Please, don’t stop,” she said, kissing him before lightly scratching his chest, letting a fingernail trail over his nipple and down his abs. 

“Hngh,” his voice rumbled against her lips. Her action lit up the parts of his brain ruled by desire, and the hand on her back moved around to her front, stopping at her ribcage and then moving upward, dragging the fabric of her nightie up with them. At the first contact of the side of his fingers with her taut breasts, Shuhei smiled and hummed, breaking their kiss, moving his lips to the corner of her mouth, her cheek, her jaw, and up to her ear. She was known for her voluminous chest, and he chuckled softly in her ear before saying softly, “I used to be a basketball player, you know,” before palming her left tit, squeezing a bit, and then dragging his thumb in an arc from the underside up over her nipple, stopping there to move in a soft circle. “No bra, bonus,” he whispered as he nipped at her earlobe and then moved over on his hip, moving her off his lap and onto her back. 

He straddled her right leg and propped himself up on his palms so he could look down at her. He looked entirely full of hunger as he did, and asked, “Still comfortable?”

“Uh huh,” she murmured, glancing down at his body. “A bra would have ruined the whole aesthetic. I usually don’t wear underwear to bed.” Rangiku reached up and pulled his head down to kiss him again, running her hands through his hair.

His body sank down with his head and he let some of his weight lay on her. When he was sure she wasn’t getting squashed, he unfolded his legs and let his hips lay against her leg. Carefully, in a testing kind of motion, he let his cock drag up the outside of her thigh, not much of its rigidity hiding through her leggings and his shorts. He breathed hard as he did, managing to not moan out at the contact. “You’re teasing me, Ran. You’re telling but not showing,” he murmured against the skin under her jaw as his lips moved lower to her throat.

Oh my god, she thought. Oh my fucking god. She shifted her hips against him trying to get a feel for his body again. Once her thigh made contact with his cock, she gasped. Rangiku wanted this very much. She wanted to feel this man’s skin against her own. “Kind of hard to show when you’re on top of me,” she said with a slight smirk. If she had sex with him tonight, it didn’t mean she would ever see or talk to him again.

At her words, Shuhei immediately sat up straight. “I’m out of the way,” he said, a hint of a smile in his voice, and the crotch of his basketball shorts straining against his erection. “I want you to show me.” He glanced down at his crotch. “Do you want to see anything?”

Seeing the bulge in his shorts made her eyes go wide and her mouth form an O. “Holy…” she breathed before she rolled over into her side and sat up. Her nerves decided to flare up again. Rangiku was very skilled in removing her clothes without really showing any skin. She made sure that her ass was covered by the sheet before she hooked her thumbs under the waistband of the leggings. She dragged the fabric down her thighs and legs until they were crumpled on the floor. Then she looked at Shuhei, glancing at him from over her shoulder, only turning her body slightly.

He had crossed one arm over his chest and rested the elbow of his other arm on it, scratching at his chin as he shook his head. “No, no. That’s not what I’m waiting for.” He looked at her expectantly.

Embarrassment washed over her and she looked away from Shuhei. What the hell was he waiting for? What did he want to show her? “Oh,” she said. Rangiku turned back to the man and stared at him. “Then what are you waiting for?”

He glanced down at himself and gestured at his naked torso. “Fair’s fair, right?” His hopes were slowly fading away as he registered what he thought was horror on her face at the idea.

If her eyes got any wider, they’d pop out of her head. Rangiku threw her head back and laughed for a solid thirty seconds. “I’m an idiot. I thought you meant…” With a shake of her head, she grabbed the hem of the lingerie she was wearing and pulled it up her torso and over her head. Then she realized she was naked in front of a man she barely knew. Well… She knew _of_ him but she didn’t know him on a personal and intimate level.

“Fuck me…” Shuhei said, gazing at her body. Her skin was fucking perfect. Tan and glowing. Her tits were amazing. He thought his attention would gravitate toward them and linger, but just looking at her sitting there, bare, made his mind flip to a one-track setting. He scooted toward her and let a hand cup one of her breasts, and then, in a breathy kind of voice, asked, “I want to touch you. Is it okay?”

He was a sweetheart. If it wasn’t okay or if she hadn’t planned on having him fuck her, she wouldn’t even be there. Rangiku gave a slight nod before she moved closer to him, getting to her knees in front of him. She wondered if she should straddle his lap or just lay down. “Is it okay if I return the favor?”

“You can do whatever you like,” he moaned softly as he got an eyeful of her thighs and what lie between. He didn't exactly give her time to take any action, though, grabbing her by the waist and pushing her body against his, kissing her hard. His hands ran up and down her back as he groaned at all the skin to skin contact. His mouth opened, pulling her tongue into his mouth and breathing the short breaths that came from her nose.

He broke the kiss a moment later and switched their positions so she was lying on her back again, and his mouth found her collar bone, kissing a trail across it and back as a hand found its way between her knees and started inching its way toward her core. He peppered kisses down her chest and over the swells of her breasts, and finally, as his fingers massaged the soft skin between her thighs, he took a nipple into his mouth and began sucking on it, not too hard, but not shyly, either. He got a mouthful and didn't let up, mouthing on it until the nub became hard in his mouth, then released it, letting his tongue swirl around it before making his way to the other one and repeating. As he released the other one and made his way back to the first, he let his fingertips strum through her folds. 

Fuck, she was wet.

Rangiku didn’t know how she was going to go back to anyone else after this. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. She knew her nipples and breasts were sensitive so she bit her lip to keep from moaning or crying out as his mouth explored her chest. She did squirm, though, and finally when she thought that she couldn’t take it anymore, Rangiku whimpered. That was the moment he touched her. Her hands came up and her fingernails dug into his arm. No one had touched her this tenderly or taken time to pleasure her. Well, Gin had attempted it, but it had been a half-ass effort so she had faked enjoying it. There was no way she was going to fake this. “Mmmm,” she moaned, moving her hips to encourage Shuhei to keep touching her.

He smiled when he felt her hips raise under his hand. He lifted his mouth off of her chest for a moment, growling, “Yes, Ran. Just like that. Let me know what you like.” With that he went back to sucking on her tits, slipping a long, rough finger inside of her.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck, she felt good. Her body felt like it was vacuum sealed around his finger. Hot and wet and velvety soft. He groaned and slipped a second finger in. Shit. He was glad he had brought another pair of shorts along, as he felt precum start leaking from the tip of his cock. He moved his fingers inside of her slowly. He didn't go especially deep; just a couple inches, enjoying the drag and pull of her passage and imagining what else might feel good in there.

He kissed his way back up to her mouth, and after kissing her there a few times, he murmured against her lips, “You feel like you were made for me, Ran. I want to make you come.” Then he kissed her again on the lips and back down to her neck, panting as he sucked a spot on her throat into his mouth.

The groan that left her throat didn’t even sound dignified. It sounded like she was desperate. His words were turning her on. His fingers were making her feel this frantic energy. His mouth was driving her crazy. Her back arched off the bed as she began to move her hips to get his fingers in the right spot. It felt so good. This guy didn’t even own a car, but he definitely could fingerfuck. Gin couldn’t even do that.

Her free hand fisted the blanket that lay on that hotel room bed and Rangiku squeezed her eyes shut. “Fuck. Fuck. Oh god. Please,” she panted, her toes curling.

Shu released the spot on her neck and looked at her face. Yeah, she looked like she was about to fall apart if he didn't help her out. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, “You look so gorgeous right now,’ before biting her shoulder, not too hard to leave a mark, but firmly, and using more of his hand, letting the surface of his fingers and palm rub against her clit as his two wet fingers continued to slide in and out of her.

Hearing him; feeling him; smelling him; tasting him... All of that came together and Rangiku felt all the tension and worries in her body break. She felt her pussy clamp down on his fingers and she almost screamed, letting the air come out between her clenched teeth. Fuck. 

The pleasure got the best of her and she verbally repeated the word. “Fuck,” she keened, feeling the euphoria spread through her body. After several moments of her body spasming, the blonde tried to regulate her breathing, untangling her hand from the blanket and covering her face with it.

Shuhei chuckled, feeling a bit proud and full of himself. He withdrew his fingers from her but continued to stroke her slit back and forth in a lazy fashion. He laid his head on her shoulder and called to her in a soft sing-song way, “Ran-giku?”

She wasn’t used to post sex cuddles. She wasn’t used to how Shuhei was touching her. It felt alien. It was nice, but just a bit weird for her. She huffed a breath and then answered him. “What?” she asked before peeking at him. After catching his eye, she covered her face again.

How the hell was she supposed to be calm and collected in front of him now? How was she supposed to dig up dirt on him and gossip about him now?

He had been feeling self-satisfied and swaggy when he called her name, but he never could have anticipated the feeling of being punched in the chest that he felt when she peeked at him.

What the fuck was that?

His hand stopped moving on her but still cupped her sex. How could he have done that to her? How could he have taken what he wanted from her without getting to know her properly? Why did he care? Wasn’t this just part of Ulquiorra’s plan? Wasn’t this just to fortify his ego and possibly get him laid?

Why did he feel like this was an incredibly significant moment?

He wanted to talk to her. He needed to talk to her. He had to make sure she was alright.

He tried to speak, but there was a tightness in his throat that he couldn’t get past. He coughed and cleared his throat and swallowed a few times before trying again. When he did, he barely recognized his own voice. 

“Rangiku? Ran? Are you alright?” he sounded like a fucking baby. “Can I see your pretty face, please?”

The blonde woman knew what she looked like after having an orgasm. Her face was red and her lips were slightly swollen. She had a just-fucked look in her eye. Her hair was a mess from her moving her head. One of her fake nails had come off. Motherfucker. She would have to schedule an appointment to fix it. The point was, she didn’t look perfect.

“I’m okay,” she said lowering her hand and staring up at him. The tone of his voice made her uneasy. She had never heard anyone sound so caring. “Really, I’m fine. It was just…” She couldn’t find the word to describe how he had just rocked her world.

Well, she didn't look angry or sad or hurt, so that had to be good, right? Sure, she said she was only okay and fine, but she didn't hate him, right? “I’m sorry,” he whispered, kissing her brow and gently moving some hair out of her face. “I thought…” Jesus. Why did he feel like such an emo bitch right now? “I’m sorry. Please don’t hide from me.”

“Why? I’m fine. Really. I just am overwhelmed with...” Rangiku sighed. She couldn’t formulate a fucking sentence. She really couldn’t think right now. Her legs felt like jelly and her brain scrambled like eggs. She opened her mouth and tried to tell him what was going through her head. “It was really fucking good and I’m not used to it. I don’t let people see me come. I look a mess afterwards. I’m not perfect. That’s why I only let guys fuck me if they can’t see my face.”

She hadn’t meant to tell him that much.

As he listened to her talk, he was formulating all kinds of declarations about how beautiful she was and how he’d never seen her look as sexy as she did right now, but then she said that last part, and he flinched.

Oh. So that’s how it is.

Okay. He got it. It stung, but what should he expect? He was a nobody. She was _It’sRan!_

He nodded. “Alright. I’m gonna wash up a bit.” He got off the bed and walked to the restroom and closed the door.

As soon as the door was closed, Rangiku was off the bed. She found her leggings and her hoodie and put her flip flops back on her feet before grabbing her bag. The water was still running so she was still safe. She could leave. She could run.

Did she want to leave? Shuhei looked like a wounded puppy after she spoke. It was the truth though. With Gin it didn’t really matter how he fucked her. He never paid attention to her needs. She knew with the few times she had sex with Byakuya, she would be bent over a desk or her face against a wall. When she came undone, that mask came down and it let whoever was causing the pleasure to course through her nerves to see a side of her almost no one got to see.

As quietly as she could, she let herself out of the hotel room. She couldn’t face Shuhei right now. She couldn’t let him see how exposed she was at the moment with her emotions. She knew how she got when people showed just an inkling of care for her. It would end badly. Besides, she couldn’t let her feelings and her hormones get in the way of her job. 

Her feet were quick as she found her way out of the gate and back to the parking lot. She would text him later.

Shu stood against the bathroom door with the sink water running. When he heard the door open and shut, he nodded to himself. It’s what he expected. He turned off the water and walked back out into the room. The bed was a fucking mess. Whatever.

He changed and grabbed the rest of his shit and got back into Ulquiorra’s car. He’d have to tell him he struck out. It was okay. He told him it was impossible. Shuhei Hisagi was nobody. People didn't have very high expectations from nobodies.

Still, he was sure he’d get bitched at for not getting a picture. Christ. Maybe if he got home soon enough he could sneak back in and tear up the note he had left without anyone noticing.


	8. Chapter 8

Ulquiorra glared at Shuhei as he walked into the kitchen. He had heard the car leaving the garage. He had come upstairs after making sure Orihime was dead to the world, and by her soft snoring, she was definitely out of it.

He read the note. How the fuck did Hisagi work that fast? It hadn’t been a damn week. He scowled and got himself a cup of juice and decided to play a video game. After a couple of hours, he saw headlights. That was his car pulling into the driveway. If he was doing Ulquiorra, a favor then Shuhei had better have some good news.

So he turned off the TV and the game console before waiting in the other room. Shu would probably put his keys back on the little hook he had installed for them. And he had done just that. Predictable.

“Well? Was your favor productive? Or should I say pro-fuck-tive?” Ulquiorra asked.

Shuhei glared at him for nearly half a minute and then sighed. “Kinda. Would have been if I hadn’t been such a dumbass, emo bitch. She just wanted to get fucked and I blew it.”

“You’re a male in your twenties, how the hell do you fuck up trying to get laid? How were you a dumbass? Did you learn anything?” Ulquiorra crossed his arms over his chest. “I want to get back at her and I can’t do this. Orihime would kill me if I even thought about it. I would kill myself if I thought about it. Ewww.”

“Yeah, well thanks for throwing me to the wolves, asshole. If you knew how she is why didn't you say so? The only thing I got are fingers that smell like her and the quoteable quote, “I only let guys fuck me if they can’t see my face,” or whatever the fuck she said. She came and left, so to speak, and I got my ego bruised.” He walked over to the fridge and flung it open. He had left the drinks he brought back with him in Ulquiorra’s car. The lack of sleep and physical and emotional fatigue were contributing to his little temper tantrum right now.

Ulquiorra tilted his head to the side and looked at Shuhei with his eyebrows drawn. Something wasn’t right. Something was not right with this situation. This was supposed to be just Hisagi fucking Matsumoto then being an informant. There should be nothing emotional about this. There was nothing to get messy about. Rangiku was a plastic bitch and she needed to be taken down a peg or two. “I don’t know how she is. All I know is that she’s fake as hell and looks dead on the inside. So the only thing you got from her is that she only lets guys fuck her if they can’t see her face? I hope you washed your hands.”

Shu turned away from the fridge with the last of the juice and drank it straight from the container, simultaneously rolling his eyes at Ulquiorra. When it was gone, he set the empty container on the counter and replied, “Of course I did. Want a whiff?” he asked facetiously. “Anyway, she’s not always plastic or fake. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s just part of her game. All I know is she was DTF and for some reason I felt like trying to be a hero and got her off first and then she got all weird and shit and hid under the covers.” Shuhei pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn't even think about taking a picture; it would have been weird, anyway.”

Great. Ulquiorra sighed louder. “I’m disappointed Hisagi. You told me back in Austin--” Seeing the look on the other man’s face made the green-eyed man shut his mouth. “Sorry you struck out.”

Shuhei scoffed. This fucking prick. He’d only had his dick in one woman and he was pitying him? “I told you what I thought. How do you think a loser like me gets Rangiku Matsumoto to meet at a seedy hotel in the middle of the night? Your wife is actually a nice person, too. She wouldn’t have ditched me afterward.”

“Wait, wait… Are you saying you got her off but didn’t fuck and then she left?” Ulquiorra pushed his hand against the side of his face and looked completely vexed. “How did you get her to meet you? Any proof?”

“Eh, I texted her. I flirted with her. I sent her a pic of the outline of my dick. She sent a pic of her cat. Apparently unrelenting bitches flock to me. Matsumoto and Momo and Nel can join a fucking club.”

“So you did fuck Nel,” Ulquiorra said. He shook his head. He should have known. “Momo was a bitch from the start. Any woman that sends me messages saying she’s getting cockblocked and to come get my woman is a bitch.”

“Ugh, no, I didn't fuck Nel. I was high as shit and she jerked me off. Whenever she’d bug me sober I told her to fuck off. She scares me.” He shook his head. “Momo just doesn’t know when to quit. I guess they aren’t that different after all. I thought Ran was different, though.”

Ulquiorra stared at Shuhei for ten seconds before he said, “Try again. It sounds like you like her and are butthurt because she got hers and you didn’t.”

Another scoff. “She took off running as soon as I left the room. I’m sure I’ll never see her again. You can have my texts if you want, I don’t fucking care. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go hide in my room and not come out until it’s time for your wife to drag me off to sign my life away to Soul Society.”

The other man threw his hands up walked out of the kitchen, shaking his head as he went back to the master bedroom. If he had stayed in the kitchen with Shuhei he probably would have heard the buzzing noise that his houseguest’s phone made.

Shu closed the door to his room and undressed in the dark next to the door, just letting everything lay where it fell. The exception was his phone, which he used as a light to guide him to bed. He climbed in naked and set the phone down on the nightstand and saw that he’d gotten a message. He wanted to ignore it.

He really wanted to ignore it. He rolled over and tried to sleep. 

Nope, he couldn’t ignore it. He unlocked his phone.

  * Hey. I’m sorry. I know I made things awkward but you’re the first guy to even see me like that. I can understand if you’re pissed. I wasn’t saying you are one of those guys. You have my attention Shuhei. Thank you.



He read it and blew out a frustrated breath. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? She was probably just apologizing because she left before getting whatever gossip she wanted. Fuck that.

  * No worries, Rangiku. I’m not pissed, I’m nobody. I’m not even worried about it. Thinking is overrated.



***

Rangiku looked at the people sitting around her small living space and frowned. “I want to get away from being a gossip vlogger. I know it’s going to be a change but--”

“Why?” Hiyori asked, sounding pissed off as usual.

“Because it’s not productive. It doesn’t make me happy any more. I also want to issue an apology to the Cifers and to Mr. Hisagi.”

Several pairs of eyebrows shot up at this statement. Rangiku never apologized to anyone.

“I’m going to ask the network if they can somehow get me more spots. I’ll still be posting on IG and all the other social media platforms,” she said with a smile. 

“But why apologize to this Hisagi guy?”

“Because he’s… He’s...” Rangiku found herself at a loss for words again. She had been thinking about Shuhei constantly since their little late night fling. She had lost the piece of lingerie she had shown him in the picture. It had probably been left on the floor and one of the housekeepers now had a nice piece of La Perla in their grasp. She had texted him to say hi but never got a response back.

She figured if she was really going to turn her life around, she was going to apologize and then cut the cord on doing the segment on Hisagi all together. Shuhei didn’t deserve it. He didn’t want the attention.

Sitting on her balcony with her tripod and camera, Rangiku chased her team off so she could get this off her chest. 

“Hello everyone! It’s me, Rangiku. Welcome back for another episode of drama. It seems as if I should have addressed Ulquiorra Cifer as Vega Highwell’s husband. The day that particular piece of gossip landed in my lap she was on the trend list in a higher position than her husband. Great job Vega. You deserve it. The last time I talked to Vega she was talking about putting together another album for us to enjoy. Personally I don’t know how she could possibly top Altair, but that’s just me. I love listening to her voice.”

She smiled at the camera and then sighed. That was one apology down. Rangiku would never outright say that she was sorry, but hopefully this would be enough to smooth down ruffled feathers.

“I also broke the news that there was something going on at the Cifers'. I was given some wrong information that wasn’t followed up on too closely. My bad, but the generosity of Ulquiorra -or OIV- is astounding. The guy took a childhood friend in and is helping him. Shuhei Hisagi has an amazing voice and you should check out his sound samplings as he sings along with Vega. I’ll be sure to leave links below.”

She cleared her throat for the next part, hating herself for what she was about to say. “Also, Shuhei Hisagi is something to keep an eye on. He’s one hot-looking guy with abs that anyone would kill for. I know I would pay to touch them.”

Rangiku had to pause a moment as she remembered that night. She had touched them. She had teased him. She had felt him and she fucked things up because now he was ignoring her.

Thinking was overrated. He was right. She wanted to stop thinking about him.

“That’s it for this week! Bye bye!”

*** 

“Well that was a lame non-apology,” Orihime grumbled as she tossed the remote over Princess, whose head laid on her lap. “A step in the right direction maybe, but ugh…”

Shuhei stood behind Orihime, with his hands on the back of the sofa, nodding. He didn’t feel very talkative. He’d been thinking about Rangiku since their encounter and he felt no comfort yet. 

He looked down at the redhead in front of him and sighed. He wished he could talk to her about it, but he was sure it would make her angry at both him and her husband. 

Orihime looked up at him and sighed. “I’m sorry I ever entertained the thought of setting you two up, Shu. You deserve someone with at least some decency.” She patted his hand and then stood up. “Are you ready to go? It makes no sense waiting around if you are.”

Again he only nodded and turned toward the garage. 

Orihime noticed his mood and caught up to him, touching his arm. “Hey, Shuhei, talk to me. What’s bothering you?”

He shrugged her hand off. “It’s really none of your business, Red.”

“Is it the deal? Because if you need more time to look it over or—“

“No! I don’t need more time! What I need is for meddling bitches to keep their claws out of me!” he barked and stormed out to her car.

Shit. He hadn’t meant to snap at her. He had just had enough.

Orihime stood in the hallway in shock as his words sunk in. Why would he be so angry with her? She didn’t want to be in a car with him in the hour plus drive it would take to get downtown in traffic today. 

Where the hell was Ulquiorra? Maybe he had some insight or could get to the bottom of this. At the very least he could lend her his car or something so she didn’t have to subject Shu to her “meddling bitch claws” or whatever.

She decided it would be fastest to call him as she took her phone out and tapped his name.

Ulquiorra sighed as he sat beside Nanao in her car. His phone beeped indicating he had a call. “Hello, Orihime. I’m stuck in traffic—”

“Oh come on, you’re not even driving,” his assistant chirped.

“Nan says hello. I thought I would be back before your meeting,” he said.

“Oh, well if you want to just meet us over there you can. I was calling to see if you left your car here. Shu’s pissed at me and I don’t really want to be stuck in a car with him all the way there. Mind if I take yours?”

“Wife, we are married. What is mine is yours. Besides, after this meeting at Espada I’ve got to see Soifon,” he replied. “Why is Shu mad?”

“I really don’t know. We watched _It’sRan!_ and then he got all attitude-y and said I had meddling bitch claws,” she said, her voice trailing quieter at the end. He might have had a point, but it still hurt her that Shu turned on her.

Wait. What?

“What did Matsumoto say?” Ulquiorra asked. He turned to Nanao who shrugged. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I’ve been playing chauffeur all morning!”

A disgusted sigh left the green eyed man. “What was the video about, Orihime?”

“She said some nice things about all three of us, but she didn’t retract anything or issue an actual apology. It felt like she was trying to butter us up to get back in with us.”

Ulquiorra grabbed Nanao’s phone and entered her passcode with her protesting what he was doing. He pulled up YouTube and saw Matsumoto’s newest video at number two. He watched it and then sighed to his wife. This wasn’t anything to do with him. “Woman, she never said anything about me. I think this is really between Shu and Matsumoto.”

***

As the minutes ticked by and Shuhei sat in Orihime’s car, he started to feel guilty. He shouldn’t have taken his feelings out on Orihime. She had only ever tried to be his friend. Those seemed in short supply these days. Sighing, he unbuckled himself and got out of the car to find the redhead.

Orihime stood in the hall for a moment. What did Ulquiorra mean that this was between Ran and Shu? She shifted her weight between her feet and decided that she had cooled off enough to face her houseguest, and started walking toward the garage.

The two singers nearly collided with one another halfway between.

“Uh, listen Hime—“

“I don’t know what’s wro— You go first.” Orihime said when they both started speaking at the same time.

Shuhei exhaled and looked at her. “I’m sorry Hime. You’re not a bitch. I’m butthurt because Rangiku snubbed me. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” He offered her a small, contrite smile.

Whoa. That smile took her right back to their days working together for Ulq’s dad. He was always such a lost puppy. She smiled back at him. “I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry it’s bothering you. Let’s go do this meeting and then we can get some coffee and maybe chat like old times.”

Shuhei nodded and they climbed into her car. On the drive over they complained about traffic together and eventually got into the terms of Shuhei’s contract, and how it related to Orihime.

“So, it’s my understanding that you have to put together an entire album before my, well,  _ our  _ tour. And we’re also going to record between two and five bonus tracks for my album.”

Shuhei nodded. “Do you think it’s doable?”

“Yep. Remember our YouTube days? We put out six songs in a couple weeks. This should be no problem.”

He smiled. She was very encouraging. That was usually a good thing. But it had also led him to believe that he had a chance with her back then. Even now, sometimes the short woman would give him a look and a smile like he could do no wrong, and he would feel that familiar swell in his chest.

He took a deep breath. That’s the last thing he needed, to get his feelings for her confused again. He fell quiet as traffic picked up and stared out the window. His thoughts drifted to another face; more mature and framed by perfect blonde waves. He had been off his rocker to think that someone like Rangiku Matsumoto would ever take him seriously.

***

It was nothing but silence from Orihime and Shuhei. Oh well, they were just people, and Rangiku didn’t need people. For twenty-six years she had been surviving just fine by herself.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling like she had screwed up.

Rangiku decided to console herself by getting a new set of nails and different color of polish on her toes. Her stylist at the salon gave her some subtle highlights, too. She treated herself to a matcha latte with extra matcha. Then she walked down the street, sunglasses perched on her styled head.

She decided she wanted to indulge a little. She was hungry. Frozen yogurt sounded good, but ugh, the calories. She needed real food, though. Eating ice cream wasn’t real food. She was an adult and could eat what she wanted. The nearest place to get that kind of stuff was by Soul Society’s building. 

Get ice cream… Sass Byakuya... Think about Shuhei while she was getting nailed by the record company executive… Nope. The blonde woman had spent enough time thinking about him. The night in the hotel room had been a flub. Yeah, she may have had his attention, but she clearly did not have it now even after her half-assed apology. She didn’t even know why she was apologizing to him or trying to get his attention.

She could hook up with another celebrity if she wanted a hot body. She could find a porn star to sleep with if she wanted someone with a big dick. 

Rangiku was getting her panties in a twist over nothing; a nobody. As she walked into the shop, she tried to ignore the people who appeared to be couples. Romance was disgusting. Relationships were nothing but a pain in the ass. Men and women alike were awful to be around, especially in Los Angeles.

***

They were standing in line silently for awhile. She was wondering what was on his mind. This was a big deal. She elbowed him.

No response.

Orihime elbowed him again. “Dude!” she whispered.

“What is it, shorty?” Shuhei replied in a low, bored drone that rivaled her husband’s.

“Come on,” she whined tugging on his arm. “This is a huge day for you! You should be excited! I was thinking, we should kick Ulquiorra out of the studio and practice tonight. You in?”

Shuhei looked down at her and smiled. She had a knack for distracting him from his more melancholy thoughts. “Okay, I’m in,” he said, nudging her with his arm.

“Yay!” Orihime cheered, giving his arm a squeeze and then standing back normally. “So what are you going to get? I heard the black sesame is amazing.”

“You’re weird.”

Rangiku’s head snapped up as soon she heard the singer’s voice. Red hair… Short… Bouncy… Cute. Shit, it was Orihime. Her blue eyes shifted over to the man standing beside her. Double shit. She knew who that guy was. He had his hands all over her the other night. Heat flooded Rangiku’s face and she dropped her phone. The sound was loud and she cursed as people turned to look at her. This was all she needed. 

Orihime turned toward the commotion but couldn’t see over the people around her. 

Shu could, though. Great. There were probably three hundred ice cream shops in this town and they had picked the one that the object of his heartache patronized. Fuck. Wait, no. He shouldn’t give her the satisfaction of making him feel insignificant. Besides, he knew he turned her on. May as well make it hard to forget him. “Get me a scoop of the mint chocolate chip, please, Orihime. I gotta check on something,” he said before making his way over to the blonde woman standing not that far away.

He stood in front of her as she was crouched over her phone and said, “Slippery fingers?”

Wonderful. Rangiku snatched her phone off the floor before standing up. Why was he talking to her? She knew she wanted him to talk to her, but why now? Why was he with  _ her _ ? Why did it look like they were on a date and getting cozy? There were a million things to say to him on the tip of her tongue. “That was you the other night,” she said quietly, staring at him.

He didn’t back up, forcing her to either look away or look up at him as he replied, “I recall. I recalled for a couple days, in fact,” he said in a soft rumble, dragging the two fingers that had been inside of her under his nose.

Her face heated up again and Rangiku looked down at her phone. “You move on quick. That’s how this place is,” she said before giving him a fake smile. This wasn’t how this was supposed to be or how this was supposed to go. The blonde was trying to get over her little lapse of stupidity.

“You may want to double check your sources,” he said, lowering his brows in disapproval at her accusation. “I promised you all night, Ran, but you were done after the first round. It’s, uh, it’s…” Shit. Why was he fumbling? Why was he doing this at all? What was he trying to prove? “Anyway, we’re celebrating my new employment. That’s all. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“I wasn’t done,” she stated, tilting her chin up. She huffed and crossed her arms under her breasts. She felt like being a bitch. “You’re the one who locked yourself in the bathroom. And new employment? Want to give me the news?”

“Lock myself--! I was washing my hands, Ran. I was in there for less than two minutes before you bolted. Whatever. It is what it is. Sure, you can have the news. I’m a baker. Just like I was in Ohio.” He wasn’t sure why he lied. He didn't want her spreading his news around, though.

Rangiku’s eyebrows rose and she looked at him. “You’re right. It is what it is and thinking is overrated.” She dug into her bag for a business card and a pen which she wrote something down on, before handing it to him. “Congrats.”

He looked down at the card and then back at her in confusion. “What’s this?”

“What does it look like?”

He shook his head. He was tired of this bitch’s head games. “I don’t-- Whatever,” he said, turning around, muttering, “Fuckin’...” before getting out of Rangiku’s earshot.

This was the second time he had dismissed her and she was getting tired of it. Rangiku didn’t even know why it bothered her. She had to let him go before she did something really dumb, like spill her guts about why she was the way she was or why she couldn’t stop thinking about him. That would have been the smart thing to do, but she waited until he was almost to Orihime before she marched after him and grabbed his wrist. 

He turned his face and looked at her coldly. What the fuck did she want now? To rub his face in the fact that he was a loser again? He said nothing as he stared at her unblinkingly.

There were people watching them. The Rangiku from a couple weeks ago would have never done this; that woman cared more about her public appearances than she did about other people. She wouldn’t have pursued a guy, but this version of herself was different. “It’s my address,” she told him in an almost whisper before letting his arm go. She gave him a glance before she turned and walked to the door of the shop.

“What the hell was that about?” Orihime asked him as she passed him his ice cream with wide eyes.

He took it and sighed. “I’ll tell you on the way home. Let’s enjoy this… If you can enjoy burnt sesame whatever that is,” he said, faking a smile for her.


	9. Chapter 9

Orihime was blindsided when Shuhei told her, in vague detail, about his hookup with Rangiku and how she left without a word. On the one hand, she was kind of proud of him; for as long as she had been friends with Rangiku, the vlogger had never gone out with a guy who did not chase her or buy her things. Of course, Rangiku had never told her about her powerplay dalliances with Byakuya Kuchiki. 

Still, it was no small feat to get the superficial woman out of her house in the middle of the night for a hookup. “How did you manage that, Shu?” she asked as her husband walked into the kitchen where they were setting out stuff for dinner. 

“He sent her dick pics,” Ulquiorra said, giving Orihime a kiss on the cheek before he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. “By the way, Shu… Don’t fuck people in my car.” A skimpy piece of lingerie went flying across the kitchen to land behind their houseguest.

“I didn't.”

Orihime gasped. Loudly. She recognized that “bad habit”. She had been with Rangiku when she bought it. “Wow, she must have really been trying to impress you, Shu. This is the good stuff.”

She didn't have to try. Jesus, he was still an emo bitch about her. He couldn’t get the image of her looking at him from under the covers with that vulnerable expression on her face out of his mind. At that moment he thought he would do anything for her. Apparently the only thing she wanted him to do was leave her the fuck alone.

Why would she have given him her address though? It didn't make any sense to him.

Orihime was distracted by her phone chiming and looked at it as she held out a basket of bread to Ulquiorra. She read in silence for a moment, and then said, “No. No. Nope. That is not happening,” before tapping furiously at the device.

“What is it?” Ulquiorra asked with the basket in his hands. He tried to look at what she was doing but she moved away from him. “What is not happening, Orihime?”

“Hanataro just sent me the list of the songs they want me to record with Shu. Some are okay. Of course they want us to do “Photograph” and “Heaven”, they were the most popular on my channel. But we are not doing these other ones,” she said, holding the phone out to Ulquiorra.

She had the list pulled up so it was easy to read. It had the two songs she already mentioned, but it also had “Time After Time” and “All My Life” and “Moon River” listed.

Ulquiorra almost threw the object in his hand at the wall. That would have been bad. Princess and King would have come along and thought it was Christmas. He set the basket down and grabbed Orihime’s phone. “No. No. No. Hell no. No. No. Fuck no. That is a motherfucking no. I’m going down there and I’m going to murder someone. So you have a record deal now?” The Espada Records star asked Shuhei.

“Yeah, but it’s a secret for now. They want to announce it at Orihime’s album release party,” he answered, a bit confused and intimidated by Ulquiorra’s response to Orihime’s phone.

“I’ll just tell them they’ll have to choose other songs. I’m not doing those ones without you. Well, I recorded “All My Life” for my first album anyway. Why reprise it with Shuhei? No offense, Shu, but that’s mine and Ulquiorra’s song.”

The green-eyed male sighed and put Orihime’s phone down. “I went to talk to Gin today. I can get a couple weeks off every month to visit you while on tour but Wonder and Oetsu are gonna be working with me on a totally new album. Aaron and Ggio want out; they want to do their fusion band stuff or something. So that leaves Grimm and I. I’m going to have to figure this out. I brought the idea of us three collabing on a song, but Koma shut me down faster than a health inspector at a nasty restaurant. Right now there is a block on any Espada doing anything with Soul Society.”

“You could just get some union guys to perform on the album. They’re good. I can give you some recommendations if you like. They aren’t studio affiliated,” Orihime said absently. Her mind was elsewhere. She brought the salad to the table, set it down, and then clapped her hands once, loudly, and spun around to face the other two. “I have an idea!’

This startled Ulquiorra and he gave his wife a stern stare. “What?”

“You still have your YouTube channel, right? I know Nan just posts canned promo clips on there now, but you still have it. Correct?” she asked, an evil glint starting to glow in her eyes.

He knew that look and he turned to look at Shuhei. “This is why you don’t marry redheads. My wife can be evil,” Ulquiorra stated before he answered Orihime. “Yes. The only thing I don’t have control over, social media wise, is the Facebook, but I hate that thing. I have full control of Instagram and partial control of YouTube.”

Orihime scoffed at the redhead comment and then shook it off. “Anyway, who says we three have to make a record for an album? There are still rumors circulating about that bullshit Rangiku reported a couple weeks ago. How about we do some day-in-the-life vlogs and incidentally video the three of us having a jam session in our studio? We can have Ivan and Grimm over too, if it makes things look less “Three’s Company” or whatever. What do you think?” she asked, looking at the other two with an expectant grin.

Shuhei looked at her and then to Ulquiorra. He didn't have a problem with it. He was a nobody. He suspected Ulquiorra would have an opinion though, so he looked at him and waited for it.

“One, I hate doing vlogs. I hate showing people my inner world. I hate Ivan. I hate Grimmjow. Matsumoto said in that recent video she didn’t check her facts, so she basically negated the rumors,” Ulquiorra said. He turned to Shuhei again. “This is gonna turn into some kind of Kardashian shit. Some network is going to see it and be like YES, let’s try and make a deal to record the infamous Obscuras IV and his wife, Vega Highwell.”

Orihime scoffed and rolled her eyes at her husband. “Well,  _ maybe _ they’d say, “YES, let’s make a reality show about Vega Highwell and her husband, whats-his-name”. She was sick of being referred to as Ulquiorra’s plus one. It was degrading. “But whatever. I think we should do it. If you don’t want to do it here, we can do it at Ivan’s. And don’t bullshit me. You would adopt him if you could.”

Ulquiorra scowled. He knew if anyone gave a shit about celebrity drama or music drama they knew who he was. The only person who wasn’t a household name was Shuhei. Was Orihime saying she would divorce him to get with Hisagi just so she could be the bigger star? “I’m not hungry right now,” Ulquiorra said and made his way to the door which would allow him to go outside.

No one stopped him. Orihime knew he got like this. He hated letting strangers into his life. Everything behind the fence was his personal bubble. No one could fuck with his OCDs here. No one could harass him or ask prying questions about his poor life choices before mending his relationship with Orihime. No one could ask about Nel or Nemu. 

As soon as he was inside of the studio, Ulquiorra sat down on the couch. He didn’t bother turning on the light. The idea of Orihime leaving him was a fear that ran deep and wide inside of him. The idea of Orihime becoming close to someone else scared the shit out of him. 

He had brought this issue up to Soifon just that afternoon.

The short-haired psychiatrist held up Ulquiorra’s well worn sheet with the issues he thought were important up and smiled. “We’re done with this,” she said. “I think you’re on the right track and taking steps to take care of yourself.”

The doctor was surprised when Ulquiorra brought out another sheet of paper with more of his writing on it. He passed it to her and sat back against her couch. The therapist looked almost defeated.

“I have more issues,” Ulquiorra said.

“You have the National Geographic library of issues, but this is what I am here for,” Soifon said. “Let’s see, you’re worried about Orihime leaving you?”

Ulquiorra nodded. He knew that was written on the sheet several times. “You know about Shuhei. I know he’s desperate for approval or whatever. He probably needs to talk to someone about whatever bugs him, but I see him glance at Orihime, or the way he smiles at her. It takes me back to when she and I were broken up. Nel sent me those pictures of him hugging her. She sent me pictures of that silly bouquet he gave her.”

“This is just guilt coming back to--”

“I know what it is, but I can’t help but feel if I slip up that he’ll come in and Orihime will be enamored with him,” Ulquiorra said, interrupting the doctor. “I sent Shuhei on a stupid mission. I’m trying to hook him up with my nemesis. If Orihime finds out that I want Shu to fuck over Rangiku Matsumoto, she’s gonna be pissed off at me.”

“Mister Cifer, your desire for vengeance against her is normal, but you don’t have to act upon it.”

Ulquiorra sighed. Soifon gave him a scolding look. The two had made a deal that he wouldn’t sigh in her office. Sighing meant he was trying to repress things or avoid topics. “I’m trying to kill two birds with one stone. Shu has a bleeding heart. There is something about Matsumoto he might be able to connect with. They fall in love and he gets out of my house. Things have been different since he moved in.”

“How?”

“Orihime wants babies. She’s constantly buying things for Ivan’s kid, although it’s not born yet. I mean, it will be soon. I had sex with her and Shuhei watched, or he saw me do it. I have this need to prove to him that she’s mine.”

“You’re scared. That’s all this is. You and your wife have a bond that I rarely see in most Hollywood couples. You have insecurities. This is natural.” The doctor wrote something on her yellow legal pad and waited for him to continue talking. “What is it about Shuhei that bothers you?”

Ulquiorra had scowled at the doctor and scoffed a few times. “He’s bigger than me. He never abandoned Orihime. He’s never hurt her. He’s social and he’s open about things. He doesn’t need to go over things five or six times or make lists or make sure that his space is absolutely clean to feel comfortable enough to leave the house. The dogs love him. I know Donnie sleeps upstairs with him when they’re not allowed in my bedroom.”

“Is that all?”

Ulquiorra had spent the rest of that session avoiding questions about the man, which made him realize he was slightly jealous of Shuhei. With Orihime saying that about a "what’s-his-name" husband, it just brought that fear that she might leave him back to the surface. He pulled out his phone and sent two texts. One went to Orihime. The other went to his new gossip monger friend.

***

Orihime had only picked at dinner. She explained to Shuhei that sometimes she got ahead of herself and got excited about an idea and didn't take Ulquiorra’s feelings into account.

Shu had disagreed. He told her that although he wasn’t sure about her idea, she was allowed to be excited about it and she shouldn’t repress herself just because Ulquiorra had a stick up his ass. 

She shook her head. He didn't understand. She wasn’t hungry anymore either. She was about to walk down to the studio when she got Ulquiorra’s text:

\- okay, we can do a couple of these vlogs. <3.

She paused, feeling a bit shocked. There was something he wasn’t saying. She took a deep breath and continued going down to the studio.

***

Shuhei put the food away, wiped crumbs off the table, and went to his room. He pulled out his guitar and started strumming, letting the instrument that he had neglected for a few weeks come back to life in his hands. He started playing and singing “Photograph” and let his mind drift back to what had happened earlier that day with Rangiku.

It was bothering him more than it should. He paused, twisting his lip as he looked at his phone. Maybe he should just ask her.

***

Orihime opened the door to the studio quietly and walked in, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. “Ernie?” she asked after a bit when she didn't see the glow she expected to spot from his cell phone.

“I’m on the couch,” he said. Ulquiorra reached over to the table beside the couch and tapped his phone screen. The blue glow made his face seem even more severe. “What brings you down here?”

His question made her heart twist. What ma de her come down here? “You,” she answered in a tiny voice. Her eyes burned as she walked toward where he was sitting. “When did you start pushing me away?”

When his phone went dark, he answered her. “I’m jealous of Hisagi. I don’t understand why he called you a month ago. You just asked if he could stay and that he needed to get away from Ohio. I agreed to make you happy. Now you want a no name husband. Why? You are my wife. I am your husband, Why is it a problem?”

She felt like she had been smacked in the face with a flour sack four or five times. “What? Wait, what?” She didn't know which issue to address first. That was a lot of baggage in a short few sentences. “Ulquiorra, when I said “no-name-husband”, I was referring to you, not Hisagi. I was trying to let you know how it felt when people,  _ especially you _ , refer to me as your wife, not by my name. No one ever,  _ ever _ says, “Vega Highwell and husband”. It’s always the other way around. It gets under my skin sometimes. That doesn’t mean I want to find someone else. I love you.” She paused to catch her breath and remember the rest of what he said.

“People ask where your husband is when you show up to functions alone. I get asked where my pretty wife is and I tell them she’s off doing better things. I never downplay your role in my life.” Ulquiorra pressed his hands against his face. “I’m not happy about the idea of people seeing what my daily life is like. If you just make it about the singing, I’m okay with it.”

Orihime nodded, although he couldn’t see it in the dark. “Fine,” she said, sounding relieved. “That’s fine with me. The only reason I thought the vlog thing would be a good idea is that I worried that Espada would penalize you for collabing with us Soul Society people, even if it was just on YouTube. I thought if it was in the context of a vlog, then it wouldn’t seem like an act of rebellion.”

“You could just sign with Espada. This would make life a hell of a lot easier,” he murmured. “Do you want me to stop performing? I can become a no name homebody, Orihime.”

Orihime sat down beside him in the darkness and felt out for his hands, taking the first one she found and holding it tightly. “No. I don’t want that. I want you to be happy, Ulquiorra. I want you to be the man I fell in love with. I want you to be you.” She took a deep breath. She wanted to address the other thing he said. “About Shu, I am not sure why he called me. We have not been in contact since I left Ohio. But I suspect it was because he was extremely drunk and didn't want to get pulled back east, saw my name in his contact list, and saw a way out. I don’t blame him. There is nothing for him there, just like there was nothing for you. The reason I asked you to let him stay with us is simple. I owe him.”

Ulquiorra pulled his wife into his lap. “Okay. I understand that. It’s just… He looks at you, sometimes, and his face lights up. I don’t want to be on _It'sRan!_ for beating his ass or him beating mine because he can’t get the point.”

“Which point would he be missing?” Orihime asked, bringing her arms around his shoulders.

“The point you are off the market; you’ve been off the market and you’re not interested. Right?” Ulquiorra sounded like he was unsure of the question he asked. “I love you, Woman. I trust you. At times, I do not trust him. That’s why… I sent him on a mission to seduce Matsumoto and then drop her.”

She tensed up in his lap and sat ramrod straight. “You what? Ulquiorra… That is so, so, so…” she was at a loss for words for a moment. “That is so unlike you,” she finally found them.

“I know, but nothing came of it. Shu failed his objective so, no harm; no foul,” Ulquiorra replied. “I just thought if he could get laid, I wouldn’t feel as threatened. We all know I have flawed logic.”

Orihime sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “Ulquiorra, you could just tell me that having him here bothers you. I might have argued a bit, but this is our house. You deserve to feel comfortable here. I know I would not like it if you asked someone who appeared to have feelings for you to live with us.” She sighed, thinking about what they could do. “I think maybe we should start looking for another nice young family to adopt him,” she said with a small chuckle. “He clearly feels uncomfortable here, too. I know he likes us, but it is awkward. Maybe we would all get along better if he had some space from us. I don’t mean right away; I know he has no income. We can’t just kick him out. We have a responsibility, don’t you think?” She was rambling. “Anyway, I think it would be productive to have him here until the recording is done and maybe we can find him somewhere else to stay until the tour starts. What do you think?”

“We can build him something on the property… Like… We need a guest house. I mean having all those bedrooms is great, but I’m not used to living with anyone but you. I think the first step we should take is get him a cheap car. If he is doing whatever to someone, it's not going to be in my car. It doesn’t have to be brand new, but he needs his own vehicle. All I could think of when I saw that thing in a bag in my car was _Orihime is going to kill me,_ ” Ulquiorra said.

Orihime laughed and buried her fingers in his hair. “If you had left it in there, I  _ would _ have killed you. You’re mine. Don’t forget it,” she said, placing a kiss on the side of his face. “But I think if I appeal to Kisuke, he can get Shu a company car, now that he’s part of the company.”

Ulquiorra hummed. “What? Give him that huge ass Range Rover you used to drive around?” He laughed and kissed Orihime’s neck. “Maybe I’ll take him out and possibly car shop.”

Orihime giggled and shook her head. “You are too generous. It gets you into trouble sometimes.” She kissed his lips and rested her forehead to his. “I don’t want you building a guesthouse for him; he may never leave. I care for Shuhei; don’t get me wrong. I always thought he was a sweet guy. But he’s not my family. You are.” She took a deep breath and had an idea, perking up a bit. “Hey, I think he gets along with Ichigo. Everyone does, eventually. That guy collects people, anyway. Maybe after we’re done recording we can float the idea? Maybe you can feel out Grimmjow?”

“I’ll ask Captain Grumpy Asshole for a favor since they’re a house divided like us.”

*** 

Rangiku just went home after the incident at the ice cream place. She took a shower. She cleaned her apartment. She sat on her bed with her laptop, watching Netflix. God she was an idiot. Why had she given him her address? He probably thought she was a crazy bitch.

Then that text message came. 

  * Why did you give me your address? I don’t understand you.



Yeah, that’s exactly what he probably thought of her. When had her interest changed from a story to a conquest? Even then, it wasn’t that. Her interest in the guy went beyond that. She put the laptop to the side and stared at her phone. 

She didn’t like him. He was a new person in town. He was involved with --living with-- one, no, two of the biggest musical acts in town. He had to know that would cause people to start talking. She was thinking about this too much.

  * Stop thinking about it. Throw the card away if you want. You clearly aren’t interested in me.



There, that should just nip this whole thing in the bud and she could wash her hands of it.

***

Shu got Rangiku’s text and glowered at it. He wasn’t interested? _Him?!_

  * I don’t know what kind of person you think I am, Matsumoto, but I don’t rent hotel rooms I can’t afford to meet women I’m not interested in in the middle of the night. You’re delusional.



He sent the message and sneered at his phone. What did this chick want? A ticker tape parade every time she walked past? It was beginning to seem like it.

Ulquiorra knocked on Shuhei’s door before he opened it. “You busy? Can we, perhaps, talk?”

Shuhei looked up at him with a blank expression. Was today just full of obtuse people? He shook his head. Best not to transfer feelings about one person to another. “Yeah. Do you want to talk in here or… A different room?”

“Here is fine. It’s not like I’m gonna get all cozy in your bed. Not interested,” Ulquiorra said taking a seat on the ottoman that was in the room. “One, I have to apologize to you. I’m sorry about the Matsumoto thing. Just forget about it. I didn’t take your feelings into consideration when trying to exact my revenge. I just wanted to bring her down from whatever pedestal she lives on. Two, I want to get you a car. Not a new one, but one you can use to have these late night booty calls. Any questions so far?”

Shu scoffed. Forget it? Now? After he’d already gotten fucked over? Easier said than done, buddy. He looked down at the bed and frowned. “There will be no more late night booty calls in my future. I try not to stick my dick in crazy. And, no. I know I hardly have a leg to stand on, but I don’t want to be a total charity case. As soon as my album drops I’ll get a car. In the meantime if you don’t want me using yours I’ll just call an Uber, I guess.” He paused. Did he have any questions? Yes, he had a bucket full. “As for questions, why did you leave at dinner? You know it bothers Hime when you do that.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. He knew his wife was bothered by it. It was why she went looking for him. “I know she is bothered by that. She thinks I’m going to stop eating again.”

Shuhei scowled at Ulquiorra. He didn't think he got it. “No, it’s not just that. I mean that’s probably something to do with it; I remember the guy who decked me in Austin, and I’ll be honest, I’m surprised he didn't shatter into a million pieces at contact. But that’s not it. She thinks she loves you more than you love her. When you walk away from her, she starts to panic. What if you don’t come back again? I don’t want to see her be the broken person she used to be.”

“I love Orihime more than I love my own life. It’s why I let her into my world and why I wouldn’t quit after everything happened. I love her enough to kill for her, because that is what I would do,” Ulquiorra stated. He looked at Shuhei. “I’m jealous of you. You’re social. I’m not. You’re ripped and I’m not. You’re attractive; I’m a freak. I need to know that you have no romantic intentions towards Orihime.”

Shuhei was going to blow off Ulquiorra’s concerns as silly, but he decided to think about it a second. Just earlier today he was feeling wistful about Orihime. But that was it. It was wistful. It wasn’t romantic. It wasn’t the feeling he felt for her three years ago. It wasn’t the feeling he felt for Rangiku in that motel room. He shook his head. “I don’t have any. I like her a lot, but not like that. Not anymore. Not when she only has eyes for one person,” he said, looking at the green-eyed man with significance. “I think you need self-esteem lessons though. I’m jealous of you.”

The other man laughed. “Why? I’m a loser. I really am. And also, pot, kettle. You could use those lessons too.”

Shuhei sighed. “I know. But for real, you told me back in Austin. Nobody like Orihime will ever take me seriously. I’ve been in jail. I have these fucking ugly tattoos on my face. I’m meek. I don’t know why you think you’re unattractive. You’re constantly on those lists of hot guys. You’re ripped for a guy your size. Don’t put yourself down.”

“I think what I said was Orihime would never take you seriously because she was with me. Find your own hot ass chick. Find someone that you have things in common with. Orihime is my best friend,” Ulquiorra said. “She’s my only friend.”

Shuhei shook his head. “I would give you a hug if I didn't think you’d kill me for it. You have friends. You just fail to recognize them.”

Ulquiorra shook his head with a smile on his face. He stood up and held his hand out to Shu. Orihime was wrong. Ivan was an annoying little shit and Ulquiorra would kick him in front of a bus on some days. He’d be willing to adopt Shu as the stupid big older brother. “You’re not a fucking charity case. You’re our friend. Ivan was a charity case.” 

Shuhei gave Ulquiorra a half smile as he shook his hand. “You soft son of a bitch,” he teased.

***

The rest of the week was busy.

Ulquiorra spent under ten grand on a car for Shuhei. It was a little Mazda 2. He left it in the driveway with a huge pink bow on it and the keys on the island counter. He left that morning with Nanao for a couple acoustic sets on the West Coast. He’d be back in time for a big birthday party Hailey and Orihime were planning for Ivan and Grimmjow.

Before he departed for LAX, he stopped by Espada Records. Ulquiorra was surprised to run into Rangiku Matsumoto there. “Ran,” he said in greeting to her with a smile on his face.

“Well, hello, Ulquiorra. How are things?”

God she sounded so fake. Her nails were fake. Her smile was fake. Her body was probably fake with implants and injections. Her hair was probably even fake! He said none of this but gave a one shoulder shrug. “Eh, it’s going. Orihime is keeping busy. Shuhei found a woman. He got a job.”

The green-eyed musician watched as the smile on the blonde woman’s face became more strained. There was definitely something going on behind the scenes with her and his roommate. “What are you doing here?”

“Gin asked me to stop by. Silly man, could have just texted. He wanted to know if I would accompany him to Grimmjow’s birthday party,” she said, her friendly tone sounding a bit too tight. “I told him that I didn’t really know. I would need to know who else is on the guest list to make a determination.”

“I think Shuhei is going. Orihime is going; she’s one of the people organizing it.” Ulquiorra said with a wave of his hand. He didn’t miss how the gossip vlogger’s cheeks flushed at the mention of Shuhei’s name. Hmmm. “Well, I won’t keep you. I’ve got to talk to Tosen about something.” 

As he left, Ulquiorra pulled his phone out and texted Shuhei.

\- Dude. I just saw Matsumoto at Espada. What the hell happened? Really? I mentioned you twice and she looks stressed and blushed.

After sending the message, it didn’t take him long to find Tosen to ask about the vlog idea. His boss told him they would discuss it when Ulquiorra returned from this mini-tour.

***

Shuhei never got a response to the text he sent to Rangiku about being delusional. It had been four days since then. When he got Ulquiorra’s text, he was outside with the dogs, throwing a stick for Donnie while the bigger, furrier animals sat in the shade to pant. He was confused by what he read.

  * I told you what happened. We had that one time in the hotel, where I got her off and then I went to the bathroom to wash my hands and she bolted. TMI? Maybe. Too bad for you; you asked.



He snickered after he sent it. If Ulq was going to be nosy, Shu was going to go all in. He remembered something else, too.

  * Oh yeah. After I signed with SS, Himes and I went to get ice cream and ran into her. She gave me a card with her address on it. IDK if she wants me to send her flowers or what, but she accused me of being not interested when I asked her why she gave it to me. When are you coming back?



Ulquiorra looked at the message and chuckled as he got back into Nanao’s car. He looked at his assistant and asked, “If someone handed you a card with their address on it, what does that mean?”

“I need more information than that to go on. What kind of interactions have I had with this person?”

“A guy who fingerfucked you. You hand him a card with your address. What does that mean?” Ulquiorra said.

Nanao sounded like she choked on the sip of water she took. “What? Who did that?”

“I can’t tell you--”

“Oh my god! Are you cheating on Orihime? I will stab you right here!” his assistant screeched.

Ulquiorra started laughing. “No, Shuhei is having problems with someone. So from a woman’s standpoint, if you hand a guy a card with your address on it--”

“It’s an invitation to fuck.”

The musician decided to text this information to Shu.

\- She wants to fuck is what Nanao told me. Don’t worry I didn’t mention any names. Nan knows Rangiku. I could ask why she gave you her address.

\- coming back Saturday afternoon. Enjoy your congrats on getting a job present, btw.


	10. Chapter 10

Orihime called Ulquiorra on Sunday at eleven in the morning. It went to voicemail. Her voice sounded stressed when she left the message. “Hi, I know your flight arrived on time. Where are you?”

She sighed and called Shuhei. “Hi, I know I told you not to show up until one, but could you get here as soon as you can? Apparently Hailey isn’t feeling well and I could really use some help setting up. The caterers aren’t listening to me and I just--” she sounded like she was going to lose her shit.

“Calm down, Hime. I’ll get in the car right now. Thank god this thing has more legroom than it looks like,” he said, folding himself into the compact car.

“Thanks, Shuhei. You’re a lifesaver.”

The call ended and Shuhei started driving. He had several days to think over what Ulquiorra had said. He hadn’t taken him up on his offer to ask his assistant for insider information about Rangiku’s motivations. He didn’t want to be that desperate of a guy. Besides, rumor had it she was coming to this party with Ulquiorra’s boss. As her date. That this didn’t come as a great surprise to him bummed him out. He decided to say fuck it and show up to this party grossly underdressed. Basketball shorts again. Sleeveless shirt. Jordans. It was not put together or glamorous at all. He was going as loud and proud Shuhei Hisagi, and if anyone had a problem with it they could go fuck themselves.

He got to the Kurosaki-Jaegerjaquez-Rogers residence in a little over twenty minutes and knocked on the door, only for it to fly open and let the sound of Orihime’s frantic voice carry over the clink of chafing dishes being set up in the living room instead of the great room. This caused the redhead great distress, apparently.

“Orihime? Everything alright?” He called, walking into the house.

“No!” she whined, stomping toward her roommate. “They won’t listen to me!”

Shuhei looked around at the caterers and then back at Orihime. “Um, Veggs, I don’t think they speak English.”

Orihime took a deep breath and dropped her shoulders. She didn’t hire these people, Hailey did. And to be honest, she really didn’t care that much about the party set up. It would be fine how it was. She was really worried about her friend and her friend’s baby. She was worried that her husband was incommunicado. “Do you think this will be fine?” she asked in a small voice, looking up at Shuhei.

He had seen that look on her face before. She was close to losing it. “Is Ulq on the way?”

Wrong fucking question at the wrong fucking time. “I don’t know! He won’t answer the phone!” she said, her voice getting progressively higher-pitched until Shu couldn’t understand what she was saying anymore and her hands were fanning her face.

Shit.

“There, there, Hime. Come on, everything is going to be fine. Let’s get you a drink and sit you down for a minute,” he said, putting an arm over her shoulders and leading her toward where he thought he remembered the kitchen being.

***

Ulquiorra had been busy. Grimmjow and he had gotten to a fight in the airport. Security was called and the lead singer of OIV decided to just drive back from Portland, so he rented a car. He wanted to drive straight through, but his anxiety got the best of him and he ended up at a hotel near San Francisco. It was okay. He also had another excuse to stop in San Francisco. When he woke up the next morning he had turned his phone off until he got closer to Los Angeles. 

Shit. Orihime had called.

He called her back and as soon as she picked up he could hear noise in the background. “Woman? Are you okay?” he asked.

She sounded like she had been crying pretty hard and was struggling to breathe. “No! Where are you? Why haven’t you called me? Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Grimmjow wanted to pick a fight with me in Portland right before we were supposed to board the plane. Security was called. I decided to drive. It’s a fifteen hour trip, Orihime. I got anxious and had to take a break. I’m almost back to LA,” Ulquiorra said in a calm voice. “I’m going home to take a shower and get changed, then I’ll be at Ivan’s. I meant to talk to you last night, but I was so drained and tired that I slept for a while.”

She was not placated. “Don’t you think that would be something you should have called me about at the airport? Before you decided to do something stupid and drive a thousand miles  _ by yourself _ , where no one had a clue where you are? What if you had gotten into an accident? How would I know? Jesus, Ulquiorra, think!” She took a rough, shaky inhalation. “And what are you fighting with Grimmjow about that you can’t just walk away from and act like a grown up? Fuck!” she said, passing the phone to Shuhei and walking away. She was much too upset.

Shuhei took the phone and saw that the line was still open, so he put it to his year. “Whoa,” he said softly. “What just happened?”

“I have no damn clue, Hisagi. Is she on her damn period? What is going on? Why is she so upset? Did something happen?” Ulquiorra asked, rubbing his forehead. He really needed some damn coffee. What the hell had caused his wife to be so upset?

“I understand you decided to drive here and got in a fight?” Shu asked, clearly requesting verification.

“Grimmjow wanted to be a bitch about something. I snarked at him and he was about ready to punch me. He got on the plane I decided to drive back and not get arrested for throwing punches on the plane,” Ulquiorra replied.

Shuhei sighed. “And you didn’t tell her about this yesterday?”

Ulquiorra sighed. “I was freaked out. I turned my phone off. I didn’t even tell Nan I was driving back. I told her I could do this trip without her. I got to San Francisco and started panicking,” he stated. He took a deep breath to keep himself in check. This would have to be another issue that he would have to bring up to Soifon. “What is going on there?”

“I’m not sure. Orihime called me an hour ago frantic that she couldn’t get a hold of you and begged me to come over. I got here and she is freaking out that the caterers don’t speak English and Hailey is not well or something. You really should have called her. You know how counterintuitive and shady it sounds that you turned your phone off and wanted to be unreachable, right?” Shuhei could tell that Ulquiorra wasn’t quite at a hundred percent today, but it was not an excuse to be irresponsible. Or, maybe he had a secret girlfriend in San Francisco. Something wasn’t adding up to Shuhei.

“I will be there soon. I’ll just come directly to Ivan’s. I will call Nan, too, and tell her to come help out. She speaks a couple of languages, maybe she can get people organized.” Ulquiorra bit his lip. He didn’t like this. 

“Yeah,” Shu let the word drag out a bit. “It might be too little too late, today. She’s really stressed. I hope you don’t pull this kind of shit regularly.”

He rolled his eyes, glad that no one could see him. “I just won’t leave the house ever fucking again just so she can know where I am twenty-four-seven.” Ulquiorra hung up the phone and threw it on the passenger seat, irritation settling into his body. It only took him thirty-five minutes to get to Malibu. Another ten to Ivan’s house. He pulled into the driveway and strode up to the door with his carry on. If he couldn’t shower at his house, he was going to use Grimmjow’s facilities.

Nan was already there, directing people to where they needed to go. Isane was there wringing her hands together and speaking softly to Nan. 

“Where’s Orihime? Where’s Hailey? Where’s that fuckface?” Ulquiorra asked.

“One, you should have called someone. I would have gotten you a different flight. Two, Orihime is trying to calm down and relax. Three, Hailey isn’t feeling good. I hope she doesn’t go into labor,” Nanao said as she gave him a serious look. “You’re going to have to be more specific on fuckfaces. Ivan? Grimmjow? Shuhei?”

“Grimmjow.”

“He’s probably in the basement. Leave him alone and go find your wife. Change your clothes too!” Nanao said as she walked towards someone handling some balloons.

Ulquiorra went through Ichigo’s home and found Orihime in Ivan’s room. It was dark in the master bedroom. “Is everything okay?”

“No.” Orihime’s voice was muffled. She was lying in the bed next to Hailey, with her face half-buried in a pillow and a hand on the other woman’s belly, rubbing it gently. “Hailey feels unwell.”

“Like how unwell? Do we need to get Ivan here and usher her off to the hospital? Where is Grimmjow?”

“No. We called her OB. She needs to reduce stress and keep off her feet. I don’t know where anyone is.” Orihime’s tone wasn’t especially warm, but it wasn’t hard. She didn’t want to give Hailey any more stress.

“Hailey, do you mind if I use one of the bathrooms to get cleaned up?” Ulquiorra asked. Orihime sounded like she was done with him for today. It wasn’t his fault, though. All her anger and irritation should be put on that blue-haired asshole.

“Go ahead. There should be clean towels in the one attached to the guest room,” the pregnant woman replied. Her voice sounded tired.

Ulquiorra nodded and then turned his attention back to Orihime. “Do you want to talk or are you going to stay in here?”

“You want to talk?” she asked, lifting her head off of the pillow.

“Nevermind,” he stated, turning around. Ulquiorra shook his head as he moved down the hallway to the guest room. Why hadn’t Orihime called someone to handle all of this? Why hadn’t Hailey? As he shut the door and threw the bag onto the bed, he shook his head and scolded himself for even thinking bad about the pregnant woman. She seemed to have more problems as the months went on.

It didn’t take him long to rummage through the bag to find a clean outfit which he laid out on the bed, along with his keys, wallet and phone. Everything else went back into the bag along with the items he was currently wearing before he walked into the attached bathroom. 

Orihime sighed as he left the room. She didn’t understand what was going on with him. She would never be so inconsiderate and let him worry about her whereabouts for nearly twenty-four hours. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe she was too considerate. Maybe he needed to understand how it felt. But until Ichigo arrived, she was going to hide out here with Hailey and pretend that today wasn’t happening.

She had been in the hallway between rooms, earlier, when Nanao arrived. Ulquiorra's assistant had talked to Shuhei about what was going on and started to take over, but at one point, Shuhei asked her if Ulquiorra often stopped in San Francisco, or if he talked about knowing someone there. Nanao didn’t really give him an answer, but Orihime saw the troubled look on her friend’s face when he turned around, biting the side of his fingernail.

That’s when she decided that this party could go on without her.

***

Shuhei kept to the shadows as Ulquiorra’s assistant took over. He didn’t want to be in the way. When Ichigo arrived about ten minutes after Ulquiorra, he asked Shuhei where everyone was. He explained that Hailey wasn’t feeling well and didn’t know where anyone else was. Ichigo disappeared, and about another ten minutes later, Orihime came downstairs and grabbed her purse. 

“What are you doing?” Shuhei asked her.

“I think everything is under control here. I’m thinking I’m going to go. I’m not needed.”

“Hey, no. Wait. I may need you. What if… What if Ran shows up?”

Orihime paused and smiled a bit. “I’m sure you’ll handle it.”

“No. Please stay,” he said in a bit more urgent tone.

It was then Ulquiorra showed up in different clothes, damp hair and his bag in hand. He heard Orihime talking. “After all this effort you put in you’re gonna leave?” he asked his wife.

Orihime turned to face him but didn’t look him in the eyes as her cheeks turned red. “I hardly think anyone will notice,” she said. The redness spread to her nose. 

She was going to cry. Shit. His dumb ass was still making her cry after all this time together. “Orihime,” Ulquiorra said as he moved closer to her and dropped his bag on the marble floor. It landed there with a thump. “Do you want to go home and talk about this and come back? Do you want to find a room to discuss this? I’m sorry I didn’t call or tell you about the change of plans. I know it was inconsiderate of me. I wasn’t thinking and I was angry.”

Orihime’s nostrils flared open and shut several times but her throat was too tight to speak. She just nodded and started walking down the hall that would lead to the guest room.

Shuhei looked away from her and to Ulquiorra with a disappointed frown.

“What? Sort your own fucking love life out before you judge mine,” Ulquiorra hissed at him before following his wife.

Shuhei stepped up close behind him and hissed, “You’re not keeping someone in San Francisco, are you?”

“What? Hell no! Why would you think that?” Ulquiorra said, turning around to face Shuhei. “I can barely tolerate other people and you think I have someone else?”

Shuhei shrugged. “I don’t know. You don’t really reek of consistency. You’ve ditched her for less,” he said, then turned away to go find another deep chair to hide in. His idiot roommate needed to understand that what he did had consequences.

If he didn’t need to chase after Orihime, Ulquiorra would have gone after Shuhei. With a sigh he turned back to the room the redhead went into and closed the door. “Is that what you think?” he asked the woman.

Orihime swallowed hard. “Is what what I think?” she hadn’t heard Shuhei and Ulquiorra’s conversation.

“Do you think I have someone else? Do you think I’m with someone else?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but you never know. I have to trust you. I told you a long time ago that I decided to trust you. You just make it really hard, sometimes,” she said as her chin started to wobble a bit.

Ulquiorra was in front of his wife as quick as his feet could carry him. He pulled her close. “Veggs, I only have eyes for you. I’m sorry that I make you feel like this and I make you cry. I have no one else. I love you. I only want you. Do you want to know why Grimmjow and I got into a fight?”

She nodded, unable to speak again.

“It was about the whole baby thing. I was mocking him about it and he said Ivan would surely knock you up if you wanted a kid that bad. I got pissed. I was going to hit him. It hit a nerve with me. I needed time to cool down.”

Her forehead wrinkled as she finally looked into his eyes, confusion marring her features. “What does that have to do with letting me know where you are and that you are safe? You’re not on your own anymore. We’re supposed to be a unit. We can’t work as a unit if you don’t let me know what’s going on with you and let me worry that you won’t come home, either because you’re stranded at an airport or you got in a car wreck or you decided that some bullshit Ran blathers on about me is true or you get drunk at a party and make out with someone. When you shut me out, I can only guess.”

Ulquiorra’s brow furrowed and he took a step back from her. “Tell me when I’ve stepped out on you since you’ve been in California. Tell me when I’ve even entertained the idea of someone else besides you, because I haven’t. I got angry and couldn’t function. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’m sorry. I apologize. I’m not trying to shut you out. I’m trying to deal with everything just like before. It’s bullshit that you bring up Nel, still.”

“It’s bullshit that you can’t call me when you change travel plans.”

“I said I was fucking sorry! What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to know how it fucking feels to be afraid for my life like I was afraid for yours! Jesus!” she shouted weakly, sitting on the edge of the bed. She was shaking. “I want you to understand that this isn’t just about you. You can say you are sorry until you are blue in the face, but are you? The next time someone pisses you off are you going to take off on your own without notice to anyone and turn your fucking phone off? It makes no sense, Ulquiorra. It’s like you’re trying to hide.”

“You must forget at one point I _was_ afraid for your life. I know it’s not just about me, Woman. You know I do things like this. Why is it a problem? You know I stomp off and throw tantrums. What the fuck is really wrong?” Ulquiorra dropped to his knees in front of her, frowning. 

“It’s that you think it’s acceptable to say, “well this is how I am so deal with it.” This isn’t like you getting pissed off and stomping down to the studio, or even driving over here or going into the office or whatever. You were missing for almost twenty-four hours and you didn’t even text me. This isn’t just a tantrum.”

“Fine. I’m going to go home. You stay here and enjoy the party if you can. The next time I have obligations I’ll tell Espada Records to go fuck themselves,” Ulquiorra said in a flat tone.

“What the hell are you talking about? You’re not making any sense,” she said, wrinkling her nose. She was missing something here. “What obligations? You were supposed to be on the way home.”

Ulquiorra rubbed his forehead and sighed. “I mean the next time I have an appearance anywhere they can fuck off. I won’t leave the house, so you won’t have to worry.” He knew he was being dramatic. “Look, I love you. I realize that I should have called you, but I just wanted to get back home. I wanted to be with you. I drove for ten hours, Orihime. I can’t really drive and use my phone.”

“You could have stopped. You could have called before you left. You could have gotten a different flight or whatever. You’re being hard-headed. Nobody made you do this. You chose to do it. Don’t act like this was your only option and you are a victim of circumstance. You would never accept it if I did the same thing to you. Not in a million years.”

They weren’t getting anywhere. Ulquiorra stood up. “As I said before. I’m going home. If you want to discuss this later, we can. I don’t want to be here and around people. I definitely don’t want to see Grimmjow at the moment.” He dug the rental keys out of his pocket and sighed. “I’ll see you later.”

***

Shuhei watched Ulquiorra leave without a word to anyone. He didn’t want to find what he expected to find in the guestroom. He didn’t want to get involved. Why did he still live with them? He didn’t need this stress in his life.

Oh, wait. He had a car. If Ulquiorra could just fuck off and leave, couldn’t he? It seemed like everyone who was involved in this party was MIA anyway. He could probably just slip out.

He felt a bit giddy as the thought occurred to him and he nearly skipped out the door, except that there was a near-collision with another body as he swung it open. Shuhei stopped in his tracks. Shit. This might impede his escape.

“Uh, hi Grimmjow. Hailey and Ichigo are upstairs. Hailey’s not feeling the best. Um, welcome home. And happy birthday?” God, he was lame.

The blue-hair man grunted a response and gave Shuhei a nod. He wasn’t really in the mood to be social at the moment but he wasn’t going to be rude about it. “Thanks; Ichi texted me. I’m thinking about calling this whole damn thing off.”

“Now why would you do that, Grimmjow? It’s your birthday, enjoy it.” This statement came from a man with silver hair, a white suit and a smile that took up most of his face.

“Ugh,” Grimmjow said and rolled his eyes.

The smile remained on the man’s face.

“Where’s your arm candy for today?” Grimmjow asked in a biting tone. He didn’t like Gin at all, but the man had made an attractive offer to him even if he had to work with a complete dumbass.

“Rangiku? She says that she can’t make it. Something about doing research for some juicy piece of gossip. You must be the research subject in question. I’m Gin Ichimaru,” Gin said, holding out his hand to Shuhei.

Shu gave the man a quick once-over and took his hand, giving it a quick, firm shake. “Shuhei Hisagi. Nice to put a face to a name.” Whether it was nice or not was irrelevant. Shelly Petersen raised a boy with manners. Even if the person in question was a guy who referred to Rangiku as his arm candy. Jesus. Today was a clusterfuck of drama and the Queen Drama Llama wasn’t even here. 

“I’m sure that Ulquiorra has mentioned me several times with a colorful vocabulary. He certainly has said some descriptive things about you,” Gin said. He didn’t remove that smile from his face. He walked past Shuhei and took Grimmjow’s arm to lead him inside. The little stunt that was pulled in Portland was not going to go unpunished, but this commoner didn’t need to know that. Gin wasn’t one to make a scene in front of others.

“Hold up,” Shu said, stepping back inside and blocking the bizarre duo’s path “What has he said about me?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t care at this point who was being made uncomfortable by this. 

He didn’t notice Orihime slip past them and out the door.

Gin looked at the male who really needed to see a stylist, shaking his head. “I’m sorry; just because I have the biggest gossiper in LA hanging off of me doesn’t mean I partake in the same activities. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Mr. Hisagi, I do need to talk to Grimmjow.”

Shu stood there, staring at the man, long enough to make him nervous, and definitely long enough to make himself seem a bit unhinged. He didn’t care. He was a nobody.

It was nice to see the guy Rangiku was willing to be seen with in public sweat, though.

Finally, he grinned. A pleasant, lighthearted grin. “Well, pass my congratulations on to Ichigo for me, will you? And again happy birthday, Grimm. Peace.” Shu was feeling like he dodged a bullet as he folded himself back into his car and drove back to the Cifer’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anybody reading? I may slow down the posting schedule if no one is really keeping up with this one. Let me know. Thanks! -JKRob


	11. Chapter 11

Rangiku didn’t want to go to the party. She told Gin she was sick and had a backlog of things to do. It was the truth. She didn’t feel good but it was more mental and emotional than physical. She was supposed to break the news about Ulquiorra and Grimmjow having an altercation when they were in Oregon but she knew if she did that there would be no chance at trying to repair things with Orihime.

When she thought of the Cifers, her brain automatically went to their houseguest.

She hadn’t responded to Shuhei’s text. It was better this way. He thought she was crazy. Okay. Rangiku wasn’t nuts. She wasn’t crazy.

She was trying to protect herself but at the same time, she wanted to get to know this guy. She didn’t know how to go about it though.

She had grown up in a very cold and sterile environment. She never saw her parents hug or kiss. They never fought or argued in front of her. In fact, she could recall every time she had seen her father make physical contact with her mother. The pair of them never drilled love or relationships into Rangiku. They told her to avoid other people and focus on an education. 

That worked until she turned eighteen and decided to apply for college all the way across the country. She was happy for the couple of months she was a student. This wasn’t the life for her though. She wanted more than whatever her parents had planned for her.

In her little group of friends, Yylfordt who was the gayest thing around and did her nails on the side told her about being a sugar baby. He was a sugar baby. His sugar daddy had loads of money and Yylfordt didn’t even have to have sex with the guy. If Rangiku wanted adventure but was broke, she needed to try it.

So she did.

Within hours she had several offers and decided to meet someone who she thought was the most interesting. Just for meeting him, Gin gave her an envelope with cash inside of it. Things progressed from there into a full blown business relationship. They had a system and if Rangiku lasted beyond a year, she would get a stipend each month. 

Eight grand a fucking week was awesome. It allowed her to do so much more in life than working a dead end job and ending up unhappy with some guy who she wasn’t interested in.

Three months into their arra ngement, Gin laid another offer on the table. He wanted to have sex with her. Rangiku had told him she was a virgin and had no experience because her parents had sheltered her and she didn’t have many opportunities to explore those avenues of growth.

It was the first time she saw the smile from his face and his ice blue eyes open all the way. She left his mansion that night, walking awkwardly from her thighs hurting and fifty thousand dollars richer. 

She was a whore.

She knew it too. 

Gin taught her how to carry herself while in public. He taught her how to present herself to the public. Smile and wave. Don’t let anyone in. Rangiku could do that. She had been doing that for most of her life.

Six months of college passed by and she finally dropped out. Her bank account had a nice amount in it. Two months later she had the idea. It’sRan was born and Gin fed her so much information about people in the music industry and celebrities he knew. She hit five million subs on Youtube this year. She was about to hit five million on Instagram. 

She knew most of the people who followed her were waiting for the day she fucked up. When she fucked up, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

It was stupid but she wanted to show Shuhei Hisagi how imperfect she was. She wanted to show him the real her; the Rangiku who liked to listen to pop songs and sing badly. The one who hated cleaning and spoiled her cat. She wanted to have a conversation with him at breakfast with no makeup on and her hair still tousled from sleep.

Could she swallow her damn pride and text him?

  * Sorry for ignoring your text. I could have met you at the Cifers or you could have come to my apartment. I’m sorry.



***

To say that Shu was having a bad day that Monday was an understatement. He had come home about a half an hour after Ulquiorra the day before to a seemingly empty house, but if Shuhei knew anything about the other singer, he was hiding out in his studio.

So Shuhei had taken the dogs for a walk and ran some errands, and grabbed something simple for dinner when Orihime didn’t show up. The party must have gone on as planned anyway, he thought.

Apparently he thought wrong. He went to bed that night, but didn’t get much sleep. He heard Ulquiorra tearing shit up at about midnight. He had come out of his room to see what it was all about. He knew that Ulq had fought with his wife earlier that day, and based on the noises he was hearing, he wanted to make sure things weren’t getting out of hand. 

He had knocked on the homeowners’ door and asked if everything was alright.

He was informed that no, everything was not alright, and if he knew what was good for him, he would let Ulquiorra know where his wife was.

Shu didn’t know. He had left her at the party.

The only response to that was a slurred, “Then fuck off.”

Oh great. Wonderful. He was drunk. “Way to go, dumbass. What if she’s in a hospital? Are you going to drive yourself there in your condition? Fuck. Did you call Ichigo or Grimmjow?”

The double doors that hid his room from the rest of the house flew open and Ulquiorra stared at Shuhei. “I do not want to talk to Ivan. I certainly don’t want to talk to Grimmjow. If I need to go anywhere I can get an Uber. I have money for shit like that. I can call Nan to come get me, if need be. If Orihime was in the hospital she’d fucking notify me because she’s fucking considerate while I’m not. This is all over the fucking fact that she doesn’t trust me and I’m an idiot for taking my time on cooling down and not killing that motherfucker. I know where she’s at. She probably ran to my dad or she’s with Urahara, telling them what an asshole I am.”

Shu had had enough. “Well she’d be right. You’re acting like a fucking child. Grow up, Ulquiorra. I’m glad you’re so sure you know where she is. I’m glad you think it’s cool to put yourself in a position where you’d have to wait forty-five fucking minutes for someone to pick your drunk ass up from your pity party and bring you to your wife’s potential deathbed. Screw you. I’m calling Ivan,” Shu said, stomping back upstairs.

Ivan didn’t know where she was. The party had been called off. When the decision had been made, she had already been gone.

So Shu called Orihime. It went directly to voicemail.

Maybe Ulquiorra was right. Maybe she did go to one of those people’s houses. He had no way of knowing. He tried to go to sleep, but he didn’t sleep well that night.

The next morning, there was still no news. Orihime was nowhere to be found. Her assistant didn’t know where she was. Nanao, who knew everything, didn’t know where she was. Ulquiorra was passed out cold on the couch surrounded by dogs, with the biggest one on top of him. Shu tried to shake him awake but Princess growled at him.

“Fine, girl. I’ll leave him alone,” he had said, backing away slowly.

By noon Shuhei was growing frantic. That’s when Rangiku’s text arrived. He knew he shouldn’t ask her anything that might lead to a scandal, but Orihime’s life was more important than keeping them out of the headlines. He typed back,

  * Hey, don’t worry about it. Water under the bridge. Um, you haven’t heard from Orihime, have you?



The blonde was currently doing her makeup and looked at the text, her eyebrow raising. No she hadn’t heard from Orihime for a while. It had been two weeks. With a sigh, she put down the brush she was using and tapped on her phone. She had to scroll through her contacts before she hit the O’s. She put the call on speaker after tapping Orihime’s name.

She answered. It was whispery and coarse, but Orihime answered with, “Hi Ran. How’s it going?”

Oh... well… The blonde didn’t think Orihime would answer. Time to improvise. She had to think of something and quick. “It’s going. I wanted to call and apologize to you for the segment I did. It was wrong of me to bait your husband just to get the story. I hope you’ll forgive me Orihime. I miss having lunch with you and having a drink while getting a pedicure.”

Orihime cleared her throat. She was feeling miserable, but she didn’t want Rangiku to know. “Yeah, me too, Ran. It’s nice to hear from you.”

It was a start. “You sound sick. Would you like me to bring you some tea or soup? I know you like that soup from that one place. I could bring you a nice bottle of wine or some chocolate?” Rangiku didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t good at comforting people. But what if she was sick or something… No… If she was sick, she’d be at home. Shuhei Hisagi wouldn’t be texting her to find out where she was.

“That’s very sweet, Ran, but I’m fine. I’m actually visiting my godfather in Beverly Hills today. I haven’t been here in ages, it feels like,” she managed a small laugh.

“Sometimes it’s nice to visit people and places. Are you sure you’re okay? I got a text from Shu--Mister Hisagi asking if I had spoken to you too.”

“Heh, I should probably tell him where I am. I’m afraid he’ll tattle though. I’m trying to teach my husband a lesson on why it’s important to let your wife know when your travel plans suddenly change. I don’t think he’s learned it yet.”

Ohh, this was news. Rangiku had to wonder if this was connected to the Oregon airport brawl. She didn’t say anything though. It wasn’t her business, so she brushed it to the side which was probably the first time the vlogger had ever dismissed gossip. “Gin does that to me sometimes and it’s awful. I hope he learns soon, darling. Let me know if you need anything. I’d like to talk to you soon about something.” 

Orihime knew she was opening herself up for exposure, but she didn’t care. She needed an ear right now and Rangiku was it. “I will. Thanks for the call, Rangiku. We should get together for lunch this week.”

“Sounds good, text me and let me know. My treat. I will tell Mister Hisagi you’re safe and sound and not to worry? Okay?”

“Okay. Be nice to him, Ran. He’s a sweetheart and he likes you.” She closed her eyes hard. She probably shouldn’t have said that.

Rangiku’s mouth dropped open as she heard the woman’s words. Shuhei liked her? This was news to her. He acted like she was a pain in the ass. “Okay, I’ll be nice,” she said. The statement wasn’t all that confident or strong. Rangiku told Orihime goodbye before she ended the call and then brought up her text messages.

  * Hime is fine. She’s hiding from Ulq. She’ll be home in a couple of days probably. Let her be.



She wondered if she should ask about what Orihime said to her but it seemed shallow. It seemed frivolous, especially since he was probably worried about the redhead. Rangiku would hate to be the one to tell Orihime that Shuhei didn’t like her. There was no way he could like her. 

Shuhei was relieved at Rangiku’s message.

  * Thanks, Ran. That’s a big relief. A couple of days, though? Cripes. Well, I’m going to try to get some sleep. It was a tense night. Have a good one.



Have a good one? Jesus, he was a dork. But he was exhausted and fell asleep quickly after sending the text.

Rangiku looked at the message and sighed. That wasn’t a message you sent to someone you liked. You didn’t call someone you liked delusional. You didn’t get someone off in a hotel room--She had to stop thinking about it.

She sent her reply.

  * Yeah. Yw and all that.



***

Shuhei went outside after he woke later that evening. The house had been quiet. He decided to go for a walk. He texted Ichigo to see how Hailey was doing. The pianist told him she was fine; it was just stress that had gotten to her.

Tell me about it, Shu thought. It was stressful dealing with Ulquiorra and Orihime. He was a drama queen and she was highly reactive. He wished he had someone to talk to. 

Well, he kind of did. Even if she didn’t care about him, as a “journalist” Rangiku probably would  _ love _ to hear what he had to say. He texted her.

  * You busy rn?



Rangiku was not busy. She was tired though. She had spent most of the day shopping and vlogging. She had hauled in at least a couple thousand in makeup, clothes and shoes into her house.

Her mouth twisted to the side as she saw the text on her screen. She had no makeup on. Her hair was in a messy bun and Ash was curled up beside her. She decided to take a selfie and send it to Shuhei.

  * Do I look busy?



Well, Shu thought as he saw her picture. This was new.

  * No, you look cute. Can we talk?



Could they talk? Her brows came together as she scowled at the screen. What did he mean by talk?

  * Do you want to meet somewhere? Call? 



What did he want? He really wanted to escape.

  * Can we meet? I have your address. You look like you’re ready to stay in for the day. I don’t mind. I could bring the “adulty beverages”, lol. JK. But if you need something I could pick it up on the way.



What was he doing? He was always a tryhard. Fuck it. 

As she read the words of his message, Rangiku’s stomach began to do somersaults. He wanted to meet. He was referring to things he had bought for the hotel. She sat up flapped her hands. Ash meowed at her.

“I know dearie but… I like him and this is… Oh Ash, this is horrible,” Rangiku squeaked.

Another text popped up.

  * Hey, would you or your neighbors mind if I bring my guitar? My hands need something to do when I’m anxious.



She laughed at the text. She would give his hands something to do. Rangiku swung her legs off the side of the bed and shook her head at herself. She wasn’t hard up for anything so why was she thinking like this?

  * I have adulty beverages. Fully stocked here. I don’t think they’d mind. I’ve made sure the acoustics/soundproofing in my apartment are good because who wants to hear background noise when recording?
  * Just bring yourself.



Now she was sounding desperate.

He was glad she seemed happy to see him. He wasn’t sure why he had reached out to her. It didn’t make any rational sense. Whatever though. He was ready to snap and needed someone who would probably… maybe… well whatever, he would talk and she would take notes.

  * On the way.



Shuhei stood in front of a nice but quiet-looking apartment building in Sherman Oaks a while later. This is not what he had imagined for the glamorous-looking vlogger. This was… quaint. 

He got to the entrance and buzzed the number she had written on the card.

Rangiku had picked up her apartment, scooped Ash’s litterbox and taken the trash out before putting a fragrance thing into the warmer. It smelled like vanilla and mint. She bought it all the time from the indie candle store that was in Malibu. When she heard the buzz on her intercom she walked over to it. “Come in,” she said, pressing the button.

She hadn’t changed. She still had no makeup on--Okay, that was a lie. She put on some tinted lip balm. Her hair was still a mess on top of her head with some artfully done tendrils framing her face. She still had on that off the shoulder Hello Kitty sweatshirt and a pair of really tight and really short shorts. She should have put on something that covered her body more but she was fed up with trying to impress people.

The buzzer buzzed back and Shuhei let himself into the building. He rode the elevator up to the top floor. He had his guitar in front of him in a soft carrying case when he tapped on her door.

Ash meowed loudly as Rangiku stood there. She shook out her hands and took a deep breath before opening the white door. She looked at the guitar case that he was holding. “Hi,” she said before letting him in.

“Hey,” he replied. His voice was soft and tired sounding. His face looked worse though, like he hadn’t slept in days. “Sorry to bother you, but thanks for letting me. How’ve you been?”

Oh, the way he looked made Rangiku want to hug him. She closed the door and locked it before leading him through the kitchenette and small living area which mostly held dressers and portable closets to her bedroom. It was definitely instagram worthy and recognizable. It was where she filmed everything when she was home. “C’mon. I won’t bite… unless you ask nicely,” she said. “It’s really not a bother but you’re welcome.” She didn’t say anything to his last question.

He smiled at her for a moment and took a seat, setting his guitar off to the side a bit, then leaned his head back for a moment and closed his eyes. A soft, almost inaudible groan left his throat before he brought his head back down and reopened his eyes. “I love Hello Kitty.”

Was he trying to charm her? Because if he was, it was kinda working. “Yeah? So do I. She’s so wholesome and cute. I have a lot of Hello Kitty stuff but being the  _ adult  _ I am, I only wear it around this place,” Rangiku replied with a smile.

He watched her for a moment. She seemed nervous. Huh. Well, he needed her to relax. “Come sit with me, would ya? I need to, uh, I need to unwind a bit. Seeing you stand there like that kind of makes me nervous,” he said with a small chuckle. 

It was making him nervous? She was already nervous. Walking over to the bench at the end of her bed, Rangiku sat down beside Shuhei. “What were you thinking of doing to unwind?”

He glanced at his guitar and back to her. “Depends. I need to talk. I need to play. I need to get away from Ulq.” Shuhei sighed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I don’t know about your family, but I’m glad my parents never got married. Seems like nothing but stress.”

Rangiku scoffed. “Marriage seems like a headache. My parents got married out of convenience. Out of duty or something. I don’t know. What is Ulq doing? Orihime said she was trying to teach him a lesson.”

He didn’t know why he was spilling secrets, but he couldn’t deal with this. “He was on what seemed to be a bender, but I don’t know where he is now. He decided to drive his ass home from Portland with his phone off and not tell her. I think she was justified in being worried and upset with him but I don’t know why they fought like they did. I assume they fought. I didn’t actually see it, but they are both spastic and I just needed to get away from it.”

“Hmmm, Gin said something about Ulquiorra and Grimmjow fighting. It doesn’t seem like him to just take off without telling someone. Nanao told me the guy used to drink when he and Orihime were split up and he lived in Laguna Beach.” Rangiku looked up at the ceiling and pressed her lips together. “It’s understandable that you need to get away from it. I would want to get away from it too.” She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly. 

Jesus, he was solid.

He exhaled at her touch and let his spine relax. “Thanks, Ran. I’m sorry to dump this on you.” He opened his eyes again and looked at her. She looked so much more approachable like this. Fuck it. He needed it. He reached out to her with both hands and pulled her body to his in an almost crushing hug. His nose dove into her hair near her ear. “I’m sorry, I just…” he murmured.

He wasn’t sorry at all. This is what he came for. 

Oh. This was… this was pleasant. It made her feel wanted. It made her feel like she mattered to someone. Her arms came up and encircled his neck. Rangiku chuckled as she pressed her face to the side of his. “It’s okay. Really. I promise not to breathe a word of this to anyone,” she said to him as she began to stroke his neck with her the tips of her nails.

It felt a bit odd to Shuhei, like the gentle scratching could turn into ripping claws in an instant. The idea cleared his head a bit, and he thought back to what she had said just a moment ago. “I expected to see you at Grimmjow’s birthday party. I ran into your boyfriend there. He was not pleased with Grimm, I could tell,” Shuhei said, not backing down from their embrace, though.

“Boyfriend?” Rangiku asked, tilting her head to the side. Then it dawned on her. Shuhei had met Gin. Fuck. “Gin? Gin’s not my boyfriend. I’ve not had a boyfriend in years. He’s a friend… Kinda… Occasionally.”

Shuhei chuckled. “It’s not my business what he is to you, Ran. He does brag about you, though. I think he was trying to be territorial. Did you tell him what we did?”

Rangiku’s cheeks flushed and she shook her head. “No, I haven’t told anyone about it. He doesn’t brag about me. I know I’m just there to look good for him.”

A hissing intake of air accompanied Shu’s partial release of the blonde as he sat back to look at her. “He does brag. It’s important to a guy like him to have someone to look good for him. It’s probably the most important thing for someone like him. And let’s face it, Ran. You always look good.”

“No, I don’t. Although… You’re probably the first person to  _ see _ me like this,” she said. It didn’t make sense to her. Why was she being like this; to this guy? “I try to look good but there are things I could improve on. I could exercise more or cut back on the things I eat or eat more healthy things. I could smile more and drink less. It’s whatever with Gin.”

“You could strive for perfection and you wouldn’t get better than this,” he said absently, bringing a hand up to stroke her cheek. “You can’t be someone you’re not. You can’t please everyone. I like seeing you like this.” He smiled and huffed a laugh. “It makes it feel like you could imagine I’m somebody, even though we both know I’m not.” He put his hand back down and leaned back. “Anyway, sorry about the emo bullshit. How come you weren’t at the party?”

Her breath hitched in her throat as she felt his hand on her face. Her stomach felt fluttery and her heart started beating rapidly. “Um… I didn’t want to go with Gin. I had stuff to do. I wanted to be alone without any drama around,” she finally said when he pulled back from her.

“Good call. So…” he hadn’t thought this through. He had said all he could really say without sounding like he was meddling in Ulquiorra and Orihime’s relationship. “Mind if I play a bit? I’ve been trying to get back into practice and this weekend kind of got in the way.”

She bit the corner of her lip and nodded. It had been stupid to think that he was going to kiss her or something else. Rangiku stood up and rubbed her palms on her thighs. “I don’t mind. I’m going to sit on my bed though. It’s more comfortable than this stupid bench.”

He got up and unzipped the guitar case and then got on the bed next to her. “You’re right, it is.” he muttered, strumming and tuning the instrument. It was easier to think when his hands were busy with familiar tasks. “Would you say you’re close to Orihime?” he asked. “At least before your most recent tiff?”

Rangiku shook her head. “Not really. We were shopping buddies. We would talk about fashion and lingerie and reality stars. I’m not close to anyone,” she said. It was then Ash jumped on the bed and meowed at her. “Okay, I’m close to one person and here she is.”

A laugh. “Hey, I’m finally meeting your cat!” he said, giving her a squinty grin. “Hey,” he nodded at the animal. He didn’t have an aversion to cats, but he wasn’t particularly fond of them either, so he didn’t reach out. His hands were busy anyway, as he strummed the guitar again, finding the tuning acceptable. He began to play some chords and then asked her, “Any requests? Just a warning, no country.”

Ash was the type of cat who did not get ignored. She bypassed Rangiku’s tapping fingers and headed right towards the man. She rubbed her head against the hand that was strumming, messing him up before looking up at the man and meowing as loud as she could. 

“Ash! No. Come here and leave our guest alone!” Rangiku said as she got on her hands and knees to crawl to where the cat was. “He will pet you after he’s done.”

“MRRRROWWW!”

“Apparently Ash calls the shots around here,” Shu said with a raised brow before using the hand he had been strumming the guitar with to scratch behind the animal’s ears. “Hey kitty,” he said, concentrating on the cat as he petted it. He knew enough about them to know they could turn from affectionate to murderous at the drop of a hat.

Rangiku laughed before she picked the cat up. “Ash is my kid. She deserves everything she wants, except scratching my furniture and using my black or dark clothing as a place to sleep. Huh?” she asked the cat who just started purring. The blonde woman set the cat down on the bed as she returned to her spot, propping herself up on the multitude of pillows that sat by the headboard. “What song were you singing at the beach?”

“Roxette, “It Must Have Been Love.” I’m not really feelin’ that song today, though. You like Backstreet Boys?” he asked, making sure he remembered the chords as he cycled through them quickly.

“I like any pop from the late nineties and early two thousands.”

He smiled at her, a satisfied crease in his eyes. “My kinda girl,” he said before launching into a folksy version of “I Want It That Way”. Before he started up with the lyrics, he said, “Feel free to join me,” with a smirk.

“I can’t sing,” Rangiku said. She could sing, but it was bad. She wasn’t a musician. 

“Doesn’t matter,” he said between phrases. “It’s about enjoying yourself, not sounding good. Thinking is overrated, right?” He grinned at her as he continued singing, looking her right in the eye.

As she listened to Shuhei play and the words he sang, Rangiku felt a funny sensation in her chest and head. She could see herself falling head over heels for this guy. Dammit. The second time he started singing the chorus, she joined in, singing the words softly. “Ain’t nothing but a heartache. Tell me why, ain’t nothing but a mistake. Tell me why...” The way he was looking at her made her want to throw caution to the wind.

He was pleased when she began to sing, and shifted into the bridge, letting her carry the melody while he sang a falsetto counterpoint, “Now I can see that we've fallen apart from the way that it used to be, yeah. No matter the distance, I want you to know, that deep down inside of me…” 

Shit. He wanted to kiss her. Bad.

He knew this feeling in his chest. The racing, building fullness. 

However, he wouldn’t do The Backstreet Boys injustice. He planned to maybe skip the final two iterations of the chorus, but started one, staring at her with a burning gaze as he sang softly, “You are my fire, the one desire. You are.”

You know what? Fuck The Backstreet Boys. He let the guitar lay against his lap as his hands came up to cup Rangiku’s face. He looked into her eyes for a moment longer before kissing her, letting his lips melt into hers. There wasn’t a great deal of urgency. It was the connection he was looking for; not the next step.

She almost whimpered as their lips met. Thinking about him every day since the hotel incident, Rangiku knew she wanted him bad. Hearing him play and sing made her want to keep him here. She wanted to be close to him. She wanted to tell him everything about her. She wanted to hear about his day. He could have gone to anyone else to talk about what was causing him stress and making him worry but he came to her. Her hands came up to tangle in his hair, those stiletto nails ghosting over his scalp. There was no way she was going to make the same mistakes as last time they were together. 

“Ran,” he murmured after breaking the kiss, his breath a bit shaky. He carefully set the guitar to the side of the bed and then turned back to her. He felt weak and exposed. He wanted to hide away from the world with her. Instead of leaning into her again, he laid down and ghosted a hand up the side of her arm, tugging on it gently to encourage her to lay with him.

Swallowing, Rangiku did as he wanted, laying close to him, but leaving a couple of inches of space between them. “Shu. What--why?” She couldn’t get her thoughts out. She was flustered.

“What why what?” he asked, putting a hand behind her head and bringing it to lay on his chest before letting his fingers gently rake through her hair, from her crown to her back and then repeating the gesture. It comforted him.

She could hear his heartbeat. It sounded like it was going about as fast as hers. It was a small comfort as she brought her hand up to lay on his muscled chest, drawing small circles on his t-shirt. “Can I ask some questions?”

“Of course,” he said. He used the same soft, gentle, encouraging voice that had come out when he was working with Orihime. It was a natural response for him when he felt like someone was showing their vulnerability.

“Did you know about me before you came out here?” Rangiku asked. That was one of the things she was worried about. That this guy would be some kind of fame chaser. She didn’t think Shuhei was but she never knew. “Like, why did you agree to meet me the first time?”

He blew out a breath and tried to remember. “Well, yeah I knew about you. I used to live with Orihime. We’d upload YouTube vids and then watch It’sRan!, at least until the parts with Ulq and that nasty old woman came on.” He sighed and his stomach felt cold at the memory. He was still pissed off at Ulquiorra about it. 

“Anyway, about meeting you? You mean at the motel?”

Nope, this guy wasn’t like some of the men she met. He didn’t seem interested in fame or chasing it. “I knew Nemu was old. She’d been around town for a while. And yeah… I mean was it to get laid or to embarrass me?” Her voice in her own ears sounded squeaky and lame.

Shuhei’s brows furrowed and he lifted his head up to look at her. “No. Well, I guess I did hope to get laid but it wasn’t like…. It wasn’t like a conquest. I thought you wanted me based on your texts and, uh, not to be crude or anything but I would so tap that,” he admitted, his cheeks turning pink and a nervous chuckle tacked onto his words.

Seeing him blush, Rangiku’s mouth pulled into a smile. “You did promise me all night,” she replied, her own face turning red. Instead of hiding from him, she lifted her head and used the palm of her hand to prop it up. “And same. Mood. But...” the blonde woman exhaled as she thought about what she was going to say. “I hope you understand that I have to put forth a different persona while in public. The thing at that ice cream shop… I don’t chase after people. I don’t make scenes.”

“Do what you gotta do, Rangiku,” he replied with a slightly guarded glint to his eyes. “You have to be yourself.” He was talking to himself as much as he was talking to her. “Anyway,” he changed the subject in an exaggerated way, “If you want to hang out and do makeovers and watch Sixteen Candles I can give you all night, but I gotta go early. The bakery calls, y’know.” He chuckled. He had signed an agreement to not disclose his deal until Orihime’s album release party and he did not intend to break it. 

The blonde frowned. “But that’s not me. The person you see on Youtube or on Instagram isn’t me. You would not believe how much work it takes to look like that every day. This is me. I’m lazy. I want to watch netflix and I want to be pampered. I want good food and drinks. I want all the pretty things. I want to sleep all the time. I want to be social. I like really good sex.”

She sighed and put her head back down on his chest. She was an idiot. “I like the Breakfast Club better.”

He knew it was never going to go anywhere between them. The lifestyle she was accustomed to and desired was not one where he had a place. “I get it—“. Ohhhh. Yeah, he got it as the pieces fell into place for him. Gin made this life possible for her. It made sense. His hand left her hair and he stretched, putting his palms behind his head. He wasn’t any kind of moral authority. She could do what she wanted. He would make sure not to get too involved. “We can watch Breakfast Club,” he offered.

Something changed and Rangiku knew it as soon as he stopped touching her. This seemed to always happen. She revealed to people how she really was and suddenly it was a problem. She sighed and sat up, looking at him. “You get it? Like get it how? I know I seem crazy or delusional. I know I’m fake when outside of this apartment but my image makes me money.”

His brows came down but he gave her a pressed smile. “Rangiku, it’s okay. I’m not upset. I get that you have an image to maintain. It’s the same with Ulq and Hime. It’s a job. There’s nothing wrong with that. Come on, let’s watch a movie and hang out,” he said, gentling the set of his brow. “Do you work out? Do you wanna go work out some time?”

He might have not been upset but Rangiku was upset. There was a difference between her and the frontman of OIV. She couldn’t appear closed off and anti-social. The more Ulquiorra did, the more the public clamored for information on him. The difference between her and Orihime was the fact no one had seen her cry on camera. No one had ever seen her upset. No one had seen her transgressions. 

Fuck, Shuhei was the only person to see how she looked as she orgasmed and the aftermath. “Why did you get weird after you got me off?” 

“Because you basically told me that I was a one-off exception. Kinda reaffirmed what I was afraid of,” he confessed. “Why do you ask?”

“If you were a one-off, you wouldn’t be here. Like you don’t get rooms you can’t afford in the middle of the night for women you’re not interested in, I don’t give my address out to guys who don’t have a chance.”

“Of course I’m interested in you, Ran. I told you you have my attention. That wasn’t bullshit. I like you. I want to get to know you better. And if you want a fuck buddy, I mean, I don’t know. I’m not saying yes or no. I just know I like you and I don’t want to just be a booty call. I’d like to be your friend, Rangiku. I’m also not stupid. I know that that would be as far as it could go.” He was frustrated that she was spouting out this nonsense with these restrictions but failing to land at the inevitable conclusion.

But--but--but--! She didn’t want a fuck buddy. She didn’t want a booty call. She also didn’t want to be his friend. She wanted something else. Shuhei was right though. She couldn’t or wouldn’t be caught out with him. She could see her fellow gossip vloggers and shows just crowing about how Rangiku had some tattooed thug following her around. She sighed as it hit her. It felt like a blow to the chest. Her shoulders sagged and she looked down at her lap. 

“Hey,” he said, reaching out for her and rubbing her arm. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I just know you’re, uh, you…” What was he trying to say? “I guess I mean you’re an Ali and I’m a Daniel Laruso.” Christ he was a dork. Did anyone their age know the original Karate Kid movies?

Rangiku shifted so that she sat beside Shuhei. She didn’t want to feel his touch at the moment. She grabbed her remote for the television and turned it on before handing it to him. “I’m gonna go get some water and use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Things were awkward again and she was giving him a chance to escape like she had done the last time. It was only fair.

He wasn’t going anywhere. He watched her leave the room and then looked over at her cat. “I wonder if the Karate Kid is on Netflix,” he said, navigating to the menu and searching for it. No dice. “John Hughes, then,” he muttered.

Ash decided to make herself at home on Shuhei’s lap and chirped at him. She was sitting there when Rangiku came back into her room. “Oh. You’re here.”

He gave her a knowing kind of smile. “Oh, c’mon Ran. I told you I’d give you all night. Come sit by me and let’s rot our brains out.”

“Why? If we both know this isn’t going anywhere then why put forth the effort?” She stood there with her arms hanging at her sides. She felt exhausted. She had tried to let someone in and he just wanted to be hangout buddies.

She didn’t really try, though. Not really. To try to let someone in would mean to abandon her facade. She clung to that like a lifeline. There was no way to remove it, even if she let Shuhei see behind it, and they both knew it. At least not until she decided her personal life was more important to her than per public persona. Those thoughts were going through his mind as he watched her pout. “Rangiku, I’m not putting forth an effort. Are you? I’m doing what I want. And right now I want to hang out with you and watch a movie and maybe cop a feel. Just being honest.”

“Is that honestly what you call what you did the last time you were alone with me? Tch,” she scoffed and shook her head. There was something about him though. So, she moved over to the bed and sat down on it before glaring at the cat. “I see you have a friend.”

He laughed through his nostrils. “That’s definitely not what I would call last time. And I think this is the only pussy I’ll be getting tonight,” he said, shaking his head at himself.


	12. Chapter 12

She huffed before she scooted closer to him. Rangiku didn’t know why she didn’t order him to just leave. If she really had a problem with him and his whole ideology about whatever they had then why wasn’t he gone? “You never know,” she murmured, looking at him. She wanted to be able to talk to him. She wanted to tell him how much he had been on her mind. “The tables could turn.”

A dark brow rose. “Yeah? How do you think I could pull that off?” He bit his lower lip and watched her expression.

What would happen if Rangiku threw caution to the wind? What if she said fuck it to everything? Money didn’t buy happiness but being miserable in a pair of Louboutins was better than some knock off cheap shoes. Fine. She was going to try this out. She was going to say fuck it to being perfect. “Do you want to fuck?”

He was flabbergasted. “Uh, yeah,” he said before he could censor himself.

Rangiku reached over to her bedside table and pulled open the top drawer. She reached inside and carefully plucked a condom from the box that was inside of it. She placed the square on top of the table then closed the drawer. She turned and studied Shuhei for a moment, trying to gauge his reaction. He wasn’t running so that had to be a good thing. She reached for Ash who protested being plunked down on the floor. 

Then the blonde took a deep breath. She got to her knees and bit her lip as she straddled Shuhei’s thighs. Her heart was racing as she settled herself into a comfortable position.

He looked at her with a questioning gaze. “Do  _ you _ want to fuck?” he asked carefully. It didn’t stop his hands from sliding up her thighs and wrapping around her hips, his fingertips sinking slightly into the flesh of her ass.

Tilting her head to the side, Rangiku brought her arms up and released her hair from the bun on top of her head. She shook out the mass of blonde. Her eyebrow rose at his question. Did she want to fuck him? Yes. Please. Did she think it was a good idea? Not really, but she wasn’t going to think about it. She was doing as he suggested and going along with what felt good. If that could apply to singing then why couldn’t she use the same idea for this. 

If anything, if they had sex she could satisfy her curiosity and then go about her life. “Yes, but I want to return the favor at least,” she answered, arching her back so that her hips moved into his hands.

Fuck. It had been about a month since he had gotten laid, and he had never had his hands on a woman as hot as she was. He’d have to be dead to refuse her. “You can do whatever you want, Rangiku,” he murmured as he leaned forward and kissed her neck, lapping at the skin there and kneading her hips. His hands were big enough to reach around the better part of her ass, and he was not shy about digging his fingers into it.

She whined before grabbing a handful of his hair and tilted his head back before kissing him. “You told me that last time and then proceeded to make me come all over your hand,” she said against his mouth, punctuating the sentence by giving his lips a little lick. “I thought about your hands and those two fingers so much.”

She didn’t mean for that little tidbit of info to slip out.

He grinned and lowered his eyelids. “These fingers have been thinking about you, too,” he growled, reaching them around the back of her ass and sliding them under the hem of her shorts. He hummed as he kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth.

Fuck.

The last time they were alone together he had been trying to impress her to a degree. This time desire was steering his actions. The hand on her hip pulled her forward to rest on his. This pleased him, and his hips rose on their own and pressed into her. 

She was hot. Fuck.

A rough breath washed over her face as one of his hands raised to the base of her skull and pushed her to him as their mouths melded together again. A kind of desperation drove his kisses as he sucked her lips into his mouth one by one. “Rangiku,” he whispered her name between kisses.

It got really warm inside of her bedroom really fast. She knew what would fix this. She released Shuhei’s hair and reached down to grab the hem of the sweatshirt she wore. She broke their kiss only momentarily before whipping the shirt off her body and throwing it behind her. As usual she wasn’t wearing a bra and it was chilly inside the room. As Rangiku pressed her chest against Shuhei’s fabric covered chest, she felt her nipples stand at attention. She moaned at the contact before moving her hips. She needed to relieve the pressure that was building between her legs. “Fuck,” she whispered as she realized what she was moving against.

He was a lot bigger than Gin. He was bigger than Byakuya. Shuhei had to be the biggest guy she had ever touched.

“You like that?” Shu asked against her shoulder as he kissed his way down her body. “I do, too,” he groaned quietly, raising up against her again. His shirt was an unpleasant obstruction, though, and it had to go. He let go of Rangiku and peeled it off, looking down at her tits with the gaze of a starving man.

“I missed these,” he said, then raked his teeth over his lower lip as his hands cupped her breasts, fingers squeezing, remembering how they felt. “Nice,” he said, pulling one up and ducking his head down to sink the tip into his mouth, moaning at the contact.

Her breathing was ragged as she fisted Shuhei’s hair again. Rangiku had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. He could continue to do this all day and all night. She didn’t care. “Shu,” she pleaded, unsure of what she was asking. “I love it.”

“Same,” he said in a ragged breath as his head came up for air and he gave his attention to the other nipple. He could wind himself up like this for hours, but he remembered how she felt between her legs, and he missed that, too. 

He lowered his hands back down to her ass and dipped his fingers under the waistband, pulling it down past her hip bones, revealing the dimples above her buttcheeks and a few inches of the crevice between. He wanted her bare to him, but he hesitated, waiting for her to finish the job in lieu of asking if he could.

Rangiku pulled back and looked at him and then glanced over her shoulder. Why had he stopped? She was enjoying herself. Then she saw it. Her shorts were in the way. “Give me a second,” she murmured before scooting off his lap. She could feel his cock against her body and she made sure to keep that contact. Once she was sitting on the bed, Rangiku laid back and shimmied the skimpy shorts down her legs, giving him an eyeful. Before he could react, she was sitting up and back in his lap, kissing his neck, sucking on the skin there.

This was nice, but it wasn’t what he wanted. “Speak up if it’s too much too fast, Ran,” he warned before flipping them around. Rangiku bounced where she fell and Shuhei couldn’t suppress the appreciative eyebrow flash at the sight of her tits struggling to find equilibrium. “Much better,” he murmured as his body lowered down toward the foot of the bed, kissing a trail from her tits to her navel and lower, skirting her pussy and lifting a leg up to nibble on the inside of her thigh.

He could smell her arousal and it was making his cock painfully hard. Exhaling in frustration, he set her leg down and pulled off his shorts and boxers in one go, before crawling back down to where he’d left off. He did not give her a chance to ogle him before his lips were back on that soft spot on her thigh.

Oh god. Oh god. Wasn’t she supposed to--All thought left Rangiku as she felt his mouth open and suck on the same area he had just kissed. “Yes, Shuhei,” she said. This was exquisite. This was heaven. She didn’t know how she was ever going to enjoy this activity with anyone else. “Damn, you know how to please a lady.”

This pleased her? Awesome. She was probably going to love what he wanted to do next. That thought encouraged him as he turned to face her manicured slit and kissed the seam, then let his tongue lie flat against it and slowly sink lower and back up to the line of hair she had artfully sculpted. “Hmm,” his throat rumbled, and then he let the tip of his tongue dive in and feel its way around. Fuck yeah. She tasted like some fruity body wash or something.

He let the tip of his tongue flirt with her entrance for a moment before licking a firm line up to her clit and kissing it the same way he had kissed her lips, sucking it into his mouth and lapping at it with gusto, until he felt his lungs burning. He then raised his face to look up at her for a moment and asked, “We doing alright up there?”

Rangiku froze the moment his lips came in contact with her pussy. This was something that she wasn’t used to. Gin refused to do it. If she couldn’t get Byakuya to kiss her, he wasn’t going to go down on her. Shinji had attempted it but it was sloppy and he was drunk, so the blonde woman had decided she didn’t like it. The porn thing didn’t count. This was different though. Shuhei wasn’t drunk and this wasn’t a drunk threesome. It was him and he was stone-cold sober. She propped herself up on her elbows and was fisting the blanket when she felt jolts of bliss run through her. The swipe of his tongue felt like it set her skin on fire. 

Was this normal? Was it supposed to feel this intense? Were her legs supposed to be shaking like that? “Don’t stop. Please. It feels so, so good,” she replied, her voice tight with need. “Oh my god, Shuhei.”

Who was he to deny a golden goddess? He dropped his mouth down to her slit and started licking her in earnest, no playing around and teasing, just swipe after purposeful swipe of textured tongue against slick skin. He contemplated fingering her too, but she seemed so close. He didn’t want to distract her.

Okay, maybe this was something she could get into. This was something she could like, but only with him. Her hips began moving on their own and Rangiku let her upper body fall onto the bed. She felt intense pressure starting to build more as he used his mouth. Fuck. This was--This was-- “Ohhhh,” she moaned, her body jerking as the orgasm hit. “Oooh god.”

Shuhei did not stop until she was whimpering and pushing at his head to get off of her. That was fucking sexy, but as he got up to sit in his heels, the relatively cool air on his cock was unpleasant. He used the palm of his had to wipe off his face and then put it directly on his cock, stroking lazily before leaning down to kiss Rangiku in the lips once. “You taste fantastic,” he murmured before straightening back up. If she wasn’t up for any more he was going to have to take care of himself, audience or no. His breathing shuddered a bit as his hand passed over the tip of his cock, wet with precum and the leftover slickness from his face.

Okay, that wasn’t so bad, she thought. She glanced at Shuhei after he kissed her. He had one of those bodies that people worked so hard to get. It was sculpted perfectly with abs that should be in a magazine. He didn’t have any hair on his torso except for the thin line that grew below his belly button. He kept himself trimmed. Then she saw what he was doing and gulped. What she had felt was nothing to what he was touching. It was kind of intimidating. She slowly sat up and then got to her knees, moving closer to Shuhei. Rangiku made sure there was no space to separate them as she trapped his cock between their bodies. She even made him move his hand. “That looks hot but I promised to return the favor, didn’t I?” she asked, her voice murmuring affectionately to him. 

He swallowed as he saw the shift in her eyes. Before now he was calling the shots, but now he felt at her mercy. “You did,” he managed to say without his voice cracking.

Glancing up at him, Rangiku smiled and blushed. She wasn’t used to this; she wasn’t the one to give orders during sex. “Lay on your back,” she said, sitting back on her heels. She watched him and thought about what she wanted to do to return the two orgasms he had given her. Did she really want to have sex with him although there was no hope for them to be together? Well they could probably be together but it wouldn’t be for long. They’d probably have a bitter breakup and all the other-- She had to give her head a little shake to forget about everything. This wasn’t the time to bring her personal and public life into this. 

Maybe a handjob would be good. Maybe she could give him head. If she slept with him, she felt like things would change and Rangiku wasn’t ready for that.

He watched her and saw the conflict flicker through her expression. Fucking hell. Once again he’d been overeager and blown it. “Hey,” he said gently, tracing the line of her jaw with one finger. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to but...” This was frustrating for her. Rangiku again shook her head. She didn’t want to tell him just in case she offended him. “I--I--” How did someone tell another person they didn’t want to get attached to them?

“You don’t have to explain, Ran,” he said, smiling at her and moving her off his body. “I’m just going to need to…” he trailed off and eyed the bathroom door. “Y’know. This isn’t going down on its own,” he chuckled in embarrassment. “You want to pick a movie? I’ll be back in short order and we can enjoy an 80’s classic? Or perhaps the 90’s? So many choices,” he tried to lighten the mood.

“I’ll find something,” she said, staring down at the blankets on her bed. They were a mess and she was pretty sure there was a wet spot where her butt had been. The bad thing about this was that she couldn’t run this time. She had nowhere to hide. If she wasn’t so insecure about herself she could be getting her brains fucked out. “Do you want something to drink? Or some popcorn?”

Lame Rangiku. L-A-M-E.

“Yes. I do. Popcorn and something sweet to drink if you have it,” he said with a grin, then got up, partially covering his cock for modesty.

She chuckled. “You don’t have to do that. I mean, you’re nice to look at. One of these days I’m gonna touch it.” Rangiku blushed at her own words. He probably thought she was a hussy. She got off the bed and stood there naked.

“I’ll look forward to it,” he said, grinning as he turned around and walked toward the bathroom. Once he closed the door, his face fell and he looked down at his cock, which was no longer hard. He knew there would be no next time. He washed his hands and his face, and tried not to feel too let down. There was a bit of irrational anger swelling in the back of his mind, though. It wasn’t fair. It was fucking typical, though. Women either used him or refused him.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a long while. Those fucking tattoos stared at him back, mocking him, reminding him that no one would ever take him seriously. A few more minutes of that and his anger subsided. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before he went back into Rangiku’s bedroom and grabbed his shorts and boxers and slipped them back on, before sitting back down on the bed and asking, “So, what did you pick?”

That smile was back on his face.

Rangiku had got him some apple juice with ice and made two bags of microwave popcorn. She gave Shuhei the bag with extra butter while hers was plain. “I didn’t pick anything. I want to talk,” she said.

He didn’t feel like talking. “Okay, we can try, but my brain is kind of mush right now, fair warning,” he said, grabbing a handful of popcorn and shoving it into his face.

That sounded about right. She sighed. “Okay then, do you want to watch Demolition Man? Maybe something else? We could watch Scream, Office Space, Friday, Fight Club?”

He scowled at her. “Nothing there that trips my trigger. Ohh, how about Tremors? Kevin Bacon,” he said as she scrolled through titles.

Rangiku typed the title into the search bar and the movie came up onto the screen. She paused for a moment and worried her lip with her teeth. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk?” she asked. She felt like something was wrong with him.

“Maybe later. I told you I’d give you all night, right?”

*** 

Rangiku looked at the spot where Shuhei had slept last night. She rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow, catching the faint scent of his soap. It wasn’t anything exotic or fancy. It smelled nice though.

She didn’t want to tell him he was the first man to ever sleep in her bed. He was a complete gentleman though. After the movie, she invited him to stay the night, thinking they could get back into things. He agreed but she found herself drifting off before she could initiate anything. Then it was morning and her phone was going off. The guy was nowhere to be found. 

That is until she looked at her phone and saw the text. Rangiku scowled at the cat who sat at the end of the bed and flipped her long blonde hair over one shoulder. “Ash, can you believe this guy? It says and I quote, “Had to work. Bakeries. Ugh. Laugh out loud. Thanks for the company, Ran.” Just--Just--What the hell?”

“Mrow?”

“I know it’s time to get out of bed and ready for the day. All I want to do is get over myself and just jump. Why can’t I do that?”

“Mrrrewww?”

Rangiku looked at the cat and sighed. “I’m gonna have feelings for him Ash. I know it. I don’t want them. He’s going to find out how I really get my money or how I don’t want kids and I don’t want responsibility. He needs to settle down with a woman who can give him brats and come home to every night.”

Ash stayed silent.

“I screwed up. I already know I like him. I more than like him. I let him go down on me. I don’t even like that, but with him...I let him see me without makeup on and my hair a mess. I let him sleep beside me,” she whined. 

Rangiku could vent to her cat. Ash wouldn’t judge her.

Well, she was a cat so there would be judgment but it would most likely be over the fact that Rangiku wasn’t getting out of the bed and feeding her. She couldn’t tell anyone else about this. What would they think?

They’d think she was insane.

She was supposed to be doing a story on the guy, not fucking him.

Well, she wasn’t fucking him… not yet. Every time they got close to that, she flipped out. What the fuck was wrong with her? 

Picking up her phone, she typed out a text to Shuhei.

  * Thank you for last night. Sorry I got weird again. I hope you have a good day… Text me later?



She sounded desperate but couldn’t unsend it.

***

Shuhei stopped at home, got showered and dressed, and drove back toward downtown, this time passing Sherman Oaks and driving to the Soul Society office. He was meeting with the stylist… What was her name? Kiki? He forgot. He was too busy thinking about what happened the night before.

It was hot. It was nice. It was… Frustrating.

He would never ever tell Rangiku, because it went against everything he believed in. No means no. She was free to refuse him or change her mind whenever she wanted.

Still.

She let him get her off twice now without any attempt at reciprocation. It made him wonder if she cared about anything other than her own pleasure. If he went by his own experience and Ulquiorra’s word, that seemed to be the truth. As far as Shuhei could tell, she was only interested in him as far as he made her feel good about herself. She didn’t care about his feelings. 

He shook his head at himself as he went inside the Soul Society office. He shouldn’t be worried about this. All this was as a favor to Ulquiorra anyway. He was nobody and nobodies should not have an expectation of being taken seriously by Rangiku Matsumoto. Hanataro ushered him into an office and sat in a chair to wait. He got Rangiku’s text while he waited. He smiled at it. It was nice of her to pretend she wanted to talk to him again. He’d send back a generic response so as not to seem rude.

  * You too :)



A few minutes later, a woman with long, flowing clothes and her hair done up in an intricate updo seemed to float into the room. Shuhei stood to introduce himself. 

“Hi, Shuhei Hisagi. I take it you're my stylist?”

“Kirio. Yes, I am. You haven’t really given me much to work with, have you?” She sighed emphatically. “Well, may as well get started. Take your clothes off and we’ll take some reference shots and I’ll get your measurements. Do you tan or are you naturally darker?”

Shuhei was kind of blown away by this woman’s energy. “Um, excuse me? You want me to just get naked?”

“You can leave your underwear on, please,” the woman said as if the idea of him nude was offensive to her. “Please be quick, though, I have another appointment. Now, about your skin?”

“I spend a lot of time outdoors but I don’t tan,” he answered, peeling off his shirt.

“Tsk. I can see that,” the older woman said as his slight farmer tan came into view. “From now on, if you’re doing whatever you’re doing outside, take your shirt off and use sunscreen. Anyway, Kisuke tells me you are a pop singer? That you sing ballads?”

“Well, yeah, mostly.” He sounded unsure of himself.

“Well, either you do or you don’t. If you are going to go for some rockstar danger-boy vibe, you’re halfway there. But if you are singing to soccer moms and sorority sisters and teeny boppers about true love, they are going to be scared of you. So which image are we going for?”

Shuhei thought about it. It’s not like he really had much choice; he had signed based on his duets with Orihime, and all of those were love songs and mostly sappy, poppy versions.

“I am basically the boy next door, but for some reason I was kidnapped and went on a two year bender and came back looking like this,” he said, looking down at his shoes. “I like cheesy, non-offensive music.”

The woman chewed on her lip and nodded. “When does your tour start again?”

“The end of September.”

“Hmm. Well, we can start removing these but they won’t be gone forever for awhile.

“Okay, so?”

“You’re going to have to get used to wearing makeup on your visible skin.”

A sigh. “Okay. Anything else?”

“Haircut.”

Another sigh. “And?”

“Wardrobe.”

Shuhei nodded. This wasn’t a great surprise. He was standing there in his underwear at this point and the woman took a picture against a height marker she set up behind him. “Turn and face the door.”

He did. 

“Now the other way.”

He did.

“Now show me your back.”

He did.

“Okay, just a few measurements and we’ll be done. I don’t know what Vega is going to wear yet; we’re still working on her tour costuming and yours will be chosen to compliment hers, but overall we’re going with an accessible, comfortable look for you.”

Shuhei’s shoulders relaxed. He could deal with that. He had been afraid of being stuffed into some of the ridiculous things he had seen Ulquiorra wear. He didn’t want to be wearing anything he would consider a “costume”. He wasn’t into fake personas. 

Well, he was into one fake persona, but it wasn’t his.

After his chest, waist, inseam and shoe size were measured, Kirio left him to redress and wait for a hairstylist to come and collect him. Once again, a lot of waiting was involved. 

In the meantime, Kisuke Urahara stopped to check in on his newest acquisition.

“Mr. Hisagi! So nice to see you again. I’m very excited to get you and Orihime into the studio. We are scheduled for Thursday for our first session. I hope you are available,” he said with a wide grin.

“Well, I am, but I don’t know about Orihime. How’s she doing?”

“Oh. Um, she told you?”

“No. She talked to a mutual friend.”

“Does Mr. Cifer know?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a couple days. I don’t think so. Although he mentioned that he thought she was with you or his dad.”

Urahara sighed. “She’s upset. She’s unhappy that he hasn’t tried to contact her. It’s kind of making her feel like… Well, I shouldn’t put words in her mouth. Anyway, she will be fine on Thursday. She’s a pro.”

Shuhei nodded. “Tell her I’m worried about her?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, we know it's not exactly healthy.

Ulquiorra felt awful. This was… day three of his drunken tirade? He didn’t know. No one was home except for the dogs. He had told Shuhei to fuck off and apparently the guy had done so. Maybe he was fucking Matsumoto’s brains out. Maybe he was even fucking Orihime. 

The thought made his blood boil. He made himself a cup of coffee and put it in a to-go cup before climbing into his SUV. Of course the dogs thought they should go. He looked pretty ridiculous driving with two huge dogs and a corgi in the car. He drove to his parents’ house in Calabasas. Orihime wasn’t there. Jon hadn’t seen or heard from her in a week.

That meant she was down in Beverly Hills. Or she was down in Laguna Beach. He didn’t want to call her. Besides, she wouldn’t answer the call. So he drove to Kisuke Urahara’s home. The dogs were barking as soon as he pulled up to the gate and pressed the buzzer. He had to tell them to be quiet.

“Boof.”

“Princess, shut it.”

The giant Malamute decided to almost knock him out with her paw by placing it on his head. She was always trying to sit on him whenever he yelled at her or slammed things. Most of the time she succeeded.

There was no answer from the speaker so Ulquiorra pressed the buzzer again.

“Urahara-Shihoin residence,” Orihime’s voice came over the speaker. She sounded soulless.

“I want to speak to my wife. Now.”

“Boof!”

The gate opened. Orihime felt a weight come over her. Of course he was pissed. Of course her attempt at showing him how he had made her feel blew up in her face. It was typical. His feelings always came first. She sat at the kitchen island of the pool house where she used to live, dreading him walking through the door.

After Ulquiorra let the dogs out of the car and put them on their leashes, he walked the path around the house and into the backyard. Little by little his ire was disappearing. That was Orihime’s voice on the speaker. She sounded lost. He knew where she was; inside of the gigantic pool house. She went there anytime they had problems and she didn’t want to be around him. Granted, that wasn’t often, but it still happened.

Ulquiorra would be an asshole and play the victim, expecting Orihime to understand that was the way he was. Soifon had told him he couldn’t continue this path. One of two things were going to happen: Orihime would eventually get tired of it and leave him for good, or he would get tired of it and change his ways. 

If she trusted him, why was it a big deal? He never went out, because he didn’t want to be accused of looking at anyone else or acting inappropriately. He acted like this closed off asshole because he didn’t want anyone to mistake his friendliness as flirting.

When he got to the door, he was going to open it and walk in but he stopped, knocking softly. “Orihime?”

“It’s open,” she called out loud enough to be heard. She didn’t want to get up. She didn’t want to have this conversation again. She didn’t want her feelings to get pushed aside because his were more important. She didn’t want her words and intent to be twisted to fit his woe-is-me narrative. She knew as soon as she opened her mouth, that would start to happen. Her eyes shut and her fists opened and closed as she began to get ready for what was coming. She needed to try to keep her head and not be emotional. It would only make things worse.

Donnie was the first to find Orihime, yipping and yowling at the woman. King was next, barking his head off. Princess was last, and all she did was sit in front of the human. Ulquiorra saw the big dog and knew what was going on. Princess was putting a buffer between them. “Hey Veggs,” Ulquiorra said, seeing his wife sitting there.

“Hi.”

“Come back home,” Ulquiorra said, looking at her. He leaned against the kitchen door and remained there. “Please.”

“Okay,” she said. She still hadn’t looked at him. She stood up and went to where her purse and keys sat on the counter near the intercom. She didn’t have anything else here that needed to come with her. 

She looked fucking miserable and it was all his fault. He knew it, but he was such a dickhead. “Orihime,” he said, taking a step towards her. Automatically Princess got in his way. “Vega, please. I know I was wrong. I am sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I was blinded by my anger.”

“I know,” she said, turning toward him but still not making eye contact. “Hi Prin,” she said softly, looking down at the animal that was nosing at her hand and sparing her a tiny smile. She took a breath that raised her shoulders and lowered them when she exhaled. Orihime stood there, staring at her dog, wondering why she felt like her feet weighed a ton.

“Ulquiorra?” the question was feather-soft.

“Yes, Orihime?”

She swallowed. “Are you happy?”

“Happy? No, I’m not happy,” he said. His brow furrowed as he studied her. Why would she ask if he was happy. “Why?”

“I mean, are you happy with me. Are you happy in our marriage.”

Ulquiorra nodded. “I am happy. I’m happy when I’m with you. I’m not happy right now because you’ve not been home in days. I miss you. I thought you would come back, but you didn’t, and I knew you needed space because you were mad at me because I’m an idiot. I love you Orihime.”

He didn’t get it. She shook her head and sighed. “I didn’t need space. I didn’t want space. I wanted you to understand how I felt. Nanao said you’ve been drinking this whole time.” She shook her head and looked down at the dog again.

If Nanao had told Orihime, he couldn’t refute it. “Yes, I was drinking.”

“So, were you trying to forget?” she looked up at his face then. 

He shook his head. “I was maybe trying to forget the stress Grimmjow caused, but I would never drink to forget you. I never want to forget you.”

“Do you understand why I left?” she asked, her brow furrowing. He was just digging a deeper and deeper hole with her.

“Because I was a prick and didn’t inform you that I was changing my travel plans. I could have died and you wouldn’t have known. I made you worry,” Ulquiorra said. He turned so that his back was against the door way, digging into his spine. “Are you happy in our marriage?”

She honestly didn’t know the answer to his question at the moment. When he was in a good mood, absolutely. But the moment his insular bubble was threatened, he acted like everyone was out to get him, including her. Often. He pushed her away or pulled stunts like he did with the drive from Portland or going on a bender and not calling her for three days. “I don’t know.” she finally admitted. “I feel like I can’t trust you, but not for the reasons you think.” She felt like she was going to be sick.

The sigh that left him was loud. “What’s the reason, Vega? Why do you not trust me?”

“I don’t trust you to think about how what you do affects me or to consider my feelings before you make decisions that affect us both,” she said, feeling like her answer was insufficient, but not really having the ability to articulate what she meant better than that.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and let his head drop forward. “I think about myself more than you, is that what you’re saying? Because I did think of you. If I called and told you I was almost arrested because Grimm baited me, would you have flown up there? I know I made the wrong decision not to call you. I apologize for it. I’m sorry I made you worry. I would have driven straight home, but I had an anxiety attack and I pulled into a hotel and I slept. I should have called you the next morning. I didn’t. Bad choice. I just wanted to get home, Orihime.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Who knows if I would have flown up there or not. It would have depended on how dire everything was. Clearly if they let you walk away, it was not that bad. But don’t you think that is the kind of thing…” she stopped. Maybe framing it a better way would be more effective. “Don’t you think it would be your business if I got into it with Rangiku and had to be separated or get arrested? Don’t you think you would be the first person I would call and talk to about it? Because I need you and I depend on your support and I want you to be involved because I love you? Don’t you think you would want the option to help me out? Not because it’s an obligation, but a privilege to be your spouse and partner?” Her chin wobbled and eyes watered but she held onto her voice. “You do things like what you did and don’t contact me and it feels like you’re cutting me out of your life.”

She had a point. Ulquiorra turned and looked at her. He could only hear two things that she said. “You love me but you don’t know if you’re happy in our marriage? I didn’t want to call because I didn’t want to worry you. I made you worry and I made you cry and everything went to shit because I’m selfish! I am sorry!”

The moment Ulquiorra raised his voice, Princess knocked him down and she sat on him.

Orihime exhaled heavily. “Are you sorry? Doesn’t look like Princess thinks you are. I don’t think you are. I think you’re angry that I’m holding you accountable.”

“Dammit dog, move.” Ulquiorra said, pushing against the dog’s bulk. When he managed to get Princess off of him, he stood back up. He stared at Orihime with a blank expression. “You can think whatever you want. I apologized. I’m going back home. This clearly isn’t getting resolved. I don’t know how to make this right. I know--I just know.”

“What is it that you know?” she asked, icy dread creeping up her spine.

Ulquiorra felt defeated. He shook his head. “I know I screwed up,” he replied. “C’mon guys.”

Orihime shook her head. He was so stubborn. “Ulquiorra, if you leave me here now…” there was a threat implied. Why was he so intent on destroying them? He would do that just to spite her? Why? She knew he was miserable without her!

“You said you were coming home with me.” Ulquiorra looked at her before he moved towards Orihime. “I am not leaving here without you. I do not want to leave here without you. I would sit out in the fucking car and beat myself up over this but I wouldn’t leave you in Beverly Hills ever again. I want you to come home with me, Orihime. I need you a lot more than you need me.”

“Why do you think that?” she asked, brows knitting. It baffled her that he might even consider that she might not need him every bit as he needed her, if not more.

“Why do I think that? Orihime, without you I would have given up a long time ago. I need you,” Ulquiorra said, looking a bit afraid. In truth, he was. She could refuse to come home with him. She could leave him. “I know I’ve disappointed you with how I’ve acted over the past couple of days. I need you to come home with me.”

“You do? Because I will tell you, Ulquiorra, for the past three days I’ve been sitting here imagining that you didn’t reach out because you were just fine without me,” she said in a thick, painful voice, watching as her fingernails dug angry marks in her hands. “I can’t read your mind.”

He sighed to release some of the tension he felt building in his shoulders. “Orihime, if I was fine without you, I wouldn’t have been drinking. I would have been sober and not lashing out at Shuhei. I would have been in the studio. I love you. I know I was in the wrong.”

She knew he was telling her the truth. Her guard broke and she took two quick steps toward him and fell into his body, holding on tightly and shaking. “Don’t leave me,” she whispered, over and over, as she cried.

His arms went around her and Ulquiorra pulled her close. “I told you when we started this again I wouldn’t leave you. I love you too much to leave you, Orihime. I know I screwed up, though. For that I do apologize. I made you cry and worry; I’m sorry. I never want to make you cry.”

It took her almost five minutes to pull herself together, and another three minutes to stop the flow of tears from her eyes. Then she had a glass of water and washed it out and grabbed her purse and told him she would follow him home.

Ulquiorra walked her to the car with the dogs following. He decided to put Princess in Orihime’s vehicle. Before he shut the door, he tilted Orihime’s face up and kissed her gently on the mouth.

When he pulled away, she pulled him back. She didn’t care if she looked needy. She was needy. When she pulled back, she asked, “Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?”

“No, Woman. Maybe fighting with Prin, but that’s it.”

She nodded. “Good, because I’m not letting you out of my sight until at least morning,” she said, punctuated by a small, embarrassed smile.

***

Rangiku read Shuhei’s response and frowned. That was the only text he sent. It seemed like a canned response. God, she was stupid. She felt stupid. She decided she needed to talk to someone. The only person she had opened up to before was probably still mad at her.

She tapped on Orihime’s name and waited, surprised when she heard a man answer. “What do you want, Matsumoto?”

That had to be Ulquiorra. He was breathing funny. There were also some noises in the background that she couldn’t define. “Um, is Orihime around?”

“Nope… Well she is but she’s busy.”

“What is she doing? Why are you answering her phone?”

“My wife and I are having hot makeup sex and I’m answering her phone because I didn’t want to hear it ring. Call back later.”

She heard the beeps that signaled the call had ended and looked at the device in her hand. She had never had something like that happen before in her entire life. It was kind of hot, though. Ulquiorra Cifer was attractive. He and Orihime complimented each other. Imagining them together… She squirmed where she sat at her desk. 

Right. 

She had to focus on work. That work had to be looking up things on Shuhei Hisagi. The blonde rolled her head from shoulder to shoulder, trying to release the tension there. It didn’t work. She googled his name and brought up images of him. Without the face tattoo, he was sexy. The ink just made him look dangerous and slightly stupid. Who the fuck put the number sixty-nine on their face?

It was a nice looking face. A face that she wanted to see thrown back in ecstasy. She wanted to see how he would look when coming.

You too… Smiley face…

She rolled her eyes. He probably had women hanging all over him just for his body and his dick. She wouldn’t know if she didn’t ask, though. First she had other business to attend to. She had to set up a lunch date with Orihime. She needed to talk to someone about this.

  * Your husband said you were busy… Lunch this week? I need to talk to you about Shuhei.



There, that was done. She still squirmed at the thought of the two recording artists. What the hell was wrong with her? She had never thought about the Cifers like that! Maybe she needed to go to Soul Society and sass Byakuya.

No.

She wasn’t in the mood for mind blowing but physically cold sex. She wanted mind blowing, hot, break the bed sex with feelings.

In the end, after fighting with herself, Rangiku ended up texting Shuhei back. She sent him a selfie. She sat on her bed with just a skimpy bra on and a smile. Maybe he would get the idea.

***

Shuhei came home after his meeting with Soul Society with a new haircut and a make-up bag. At least it was kind of a cool, manly makeup bag. He consoled himself with that thought. When he got to the Cifer residence, he parked in the driveway as usual and came to the front door. When he got there, he stopped.

What the ever-living fuck?

Was Ulquiorra fucking serious?

Was that a fucking _sock_ on the doorknob?

Scoffing, he took a picture of the offending display and walked around the side of the building and let himself into the studio. He needed practice, anyway. 

While he was inside practicing, he got Rangiku’s message. Damn. That was a pleasant surprise. He grinned, feeling giddy from the events of the day and the obvious nature of Rangiku’s selfie, and tapped on her contact to call her.

“Hello!” she squeaked, desperately trying not to drop her phone into the bathtub. She had decided that a bath would be nice and relaxing.

“Hey Sexy,” he said. “Thanks for the picture. I’ve got one for you, too,” he said in a low, seductive voice.

Rangiku laughed. She didn’t mean to, but no one ever called her sexy and meant it. “Yeah? What’s the picture of? I wouldn’t mind a photo of your abs and that killer smile of yours.”

He chuckled. He’d oblige. He snapped the pic, showing the non-tattooed side of his face and lifting his shirt off his belly. “Incoming,” he said and waited for her reaction.

Oooh. “Nice,” she commented. “So… why did you call me?” Her voice was playful. She was acting like some silly schoolgirl with a crush. That’s what she was, but she was a mid-20’s woman with a crush.

“Well, you _are_ the gossip queen of Los Angeles, right?” Shuhei asked in an equally playful, but also conspiratorial voice.

“Mmmm, sometimes.” She declined to tell him that she wanted to move away from that avenue of income. “Are you going to give me something to talk about?”

“Oh, no, my dear, this is just between us,” he said, mimicking his mother. “You’ll never believe what I came home to today,” he said, sending the picture he had taken of the sock. “It’s just scandalous!” He laughed, and dropped the gossip hen voice in favor of his usual one. “Seriously, though, Ran. Check your texts. It’s fucking hilarious.”

She pulled the phone away from her face and looked at the photo that popped up. A sock on a doorknob. Oh, he was clearly showing her that he was fucking someone else. Was that it? She tried to sound cheerful as she put the phone to her ear. She couldn’t sound hurt by this. “Wow. Who does that anymore?”

“Ulquiorra fucking Cifer, that’s who. Can you believe that guy? What a dork!” Shu was still snickering.

“Oh,” she said, drawing the word out. She bit her bottom lip then exhaled, relieved. “I called Orihime earlier and they were having makeup sex.”

“Yeah, well, apparently they’re not done. I’m hungry. If they don’t stop soon I’m going to have to order a pizza or something.” He paused and sighed in a contented way. “Anyway, did you notice the haircut?”

He was embarrassed after he asked. He must have sounded so desperate for her attention. If he was honest with himself, he was. At least his ego was. That self-centered part of him wanted some validation from her. That he had given so much physical attention to her and she did not return the favor left his self-esteem a bit on the shaky side.

“I’ve got something you can eat.” Rangiku’s face turned seven shades of red after she said it. She was a complete moron. Why had she said that? She closed her eyes. “I didn’t notice it. I was too focused on your smile. Let me pull it up again.”

She didn’t wait for him to respond. She brought up the first two photos he had sent and studied them. It was subtle, but she could actually see his eyes. He looked even hotter. 

He chuckled at the oral joke. “You want me to give you a repeat performance?” Man, he liked her. She was fun, despite leaving him unsatisfied. She made him laugh. He wanted to make her laugh.

He wanted her to like him. 

He rolled his eyes at himself. What a loser. Obviously she didn’t; she was just playing around with him to get her rocks off. He shook his head. He could get all self-reflective when he was alone. She had his attention, and he didn’t want to split it at the moment.

“Yes, but you probably have to work and you still didn’t give me all night,” Rangiku said. She shifted her legs in the water, letting it slosh and splash.

“I did too! It’s not my fault you passed out. Kevin Bacon said, “Would you. Shut. Up.” and I looked over at you and you looked like you had shut up ten minutes ago. You’re cute when you snore, by the way. And was that water I heard? Are you swimming?”

“No, I’m in the tub. I figured it would be a nice way to relax tonight. I do not snore, either.”

Shuhei chuckled. “If you say so.” Should he? Would she be offended? Only one way to find out. “Anyway, you’re going to tell me you’re in the bath and not send me a bath selfie? What is this?”

Rolling her eyes, Rangiku took a picture of herself in the tub. Her hair was curling and she caught almost an entire tit in the photo. Oh well. “I’ve never had any complaints that I snore. Ash doesn’t complain about my sleeping habits. If you’re going to complain about my first sleepover, I won’t schedule anymore with you.”

He got the picture and his pupils dilated. “Damn, girl. I am not complaining. You could snore like a chainsaw and I would not complain. What are you doing?” Fuck it. If she wanted to send naked selfies, obviously she was down to screw around again. Who would it hurt to give it another go? Maybe she’d be in a more giving mood tonight. He wouldn’t know unless he tried.

“What am I doing? I told you I’m taking a bath and I’m talking to you.”

He interrupted her. “Come over.”

“What? You mean… Out to the Cifers’ house?”

“I mean, I have a sock. We could communicate using footwear. I wanna see you. In. The. Flesh.” He was letting his dick do the talking tonight, apparently.

A pulse of desire went down her spine and directly to her clit and made her entire body shiver. A small whimper left her throat as she thought about it. “Do I need to bring anything?” Rangiku asked in a breathy way. She didn’t want to seem desperate but she also didn’t want to come unprepared.

“I have kitty treats, if that’s what you’re asking.” He barely recognized his own voice. Who was he kidding? She wasn’t going to drive all the way out to Malibu-- wait. She had before. Shit. He would have to sneak into the house for condoms if they were going to fuck in the studio.

Thinking was overrated. That seemed like it was Shuhei’s motto. Rangiku would adopt it. “I have to get out of the tub and dressed. I can be there in an hour. And yes, that’s what I am asking. We didn’t use that one I got out last night.”

“Fuck that, Ran. Stay in the tub. I can be there in thirty-five minutes if I blow all the stop signs.”

Rangiku laughed again. “Did you know that speeding tickets are outrageously expensive in California? I want to come out there. You can show me where Orihime is keeping you captive.”

“Fine. I’ll be waiting,” he said, grinning his fool head off.


	14. Chapter 14

It took her ten minutes to leave her apartment. She didn’t bother putting on makeup. She dried off her body, threw her hair into a bun and then dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of Hello Kitty pajama shorts along with flip flops. She grabbed a couple of condoms from the bedside table and put them into her bag and grabbed her keys, locking her door behind her. Rangiku was nervous as she got closer to Malibu. 

Talking to Shuhei was easy. He was carefree and seemed to enjoy life. Rangiku had to wonder what made her new lover smile. What made him tick? When she was five minutes away she called him. “I’m almost there,” she said.

“I’m already at the gate waiting to let you in. I may be a bit eager to see you,” he said with an embarrassed huff. He had been eager. He had been imagining what was going to happen, and wondering where the hell he drummed up the nerve to demand her to come over.

He stood by the gate in a pair of red basketball shorts and a gray zip-up hoodie with nothing underneath. There was a slight breeze on top of the hill where the Cifer residence sat, so it was just a bit chilly as he waited outside.

He glanced back over at the house and saw the lights still on in Orihime and Ulquiorra’s room from between the cracks in the blinds. One side of his lips tipped up. He was glad that his friends/roommates were apparently back on good terms.

Rangiku pulled into the drive and saw the open gate. Then she saw Shuhei who waved her through. She had to give herself a peptalk as she pulled up to the house. It was just curiosity. It was just a booty call. It was just to scratch an itch. She was lying to herself. She knew she had more interest in Shuhei than that.

She had issues and she knew it. She sat there for a moment before turning the car off and grabbing her purse. Why was she nervous? She was never nervous around Gin or Byakuya. Neither of those men had a huge dick or had gotten her off with their fingers and mouth. Neither of those men kissed her like Shuhei had. She put a smile on her face as she exited the car then stood by it.

He grinned at her and waved before she got out of the car and waited for her to come out. When she did, he walked up to her and gave her a hug, murmuring, “Thanks for coming,” before backing up and looking down at her. “Let’s go inside.” He took her hand and led her down to the pool towards the studio.

Rangiku’s forehead wrinkled slightly as they walked past the house. He wasn’t taking her into the main house? Her face smoothed out as she saw the pool house come into view. “I hope I’d be coming,” she replied as they got to the door.

“Oh? That can be arranged,” he replied with a smirk as he opened the door to the pool house and grabbed a couple towels. “We need to go into the other door on the other side,” he said as he returned to the door.

“The other...” Rangiku was confused, but at least she wasn’t going to have some changing room romp. That would have been awkward and uncomfortable. She followed Shuhei, their hands linked, until they got to the next door. Oh shit. She was going to walk into Obscuras IV’s personal studio. She remembered the first time she asked Ulquiorra for a tour of the space only to be told to fuck off in no uncertain terms. “He lets you in here?”

“I’ve been in here. I assume he expects me to hang out here until he’s done molesting the missus. They’ve been at it since I got back from... From my haircut.” Shit, he had almost let the meeting at Soul Society slip. He wouldn’t mind her knowing, personally, but he had signed a contract to not disclose his deal until the official announcement.

Rangiku smiled. “They’ve been at it for longer than that. Probably an hour before you called me. I’ve never had makeup sex, but it sounded awesome.” She chuckled and shook her head. Her blue eyes flickered to his head and the woman reached up and ran her nails down the line of his neck. “It’s a nice haircut. What made you decide to do it?”

“Uh, it was just time,” he answered before blinking a few times, his brain lagging a bit behind her words. “Back up a minute, you  _ heard _ them fucking?”

“I called to talk to Orihime; to set up a lunch date because I need to talk to her about something. Ulquiorra answered the phone. He was breathing weird and when I asked what Orihime was doing, he said they were having hot makeup sex or something. He hung up on me.”

The grin on his face was wicked. “And it sounded hot to you? How did it make you feel?”

Rangiku narrowed her eyes playfully at Shuhei. “It was hot. Thinking about them and--What are you? My therapist?” She laughed quietly. “I, uh, had to walk it off.”

He bit his lip, still grinning, and shook his head at her, then dipped it down to kiss her, one hand grabbing her ass for a quick squeeze. Then he pulled back and took her hand again, pulling her toward the exit. “Come on, I forgot something.”

“You forgot something? What?” She asked as she once again followed him. It seemed like she would do that willingly; follow him without any objections. “If you forgot  _ kitty treats _ … I have a couple with me.”

He sped up but looked back at her and hissed a giggle. “Nope. Not that.” He laughed again the same way as he pulled her along the path to the front door of the house. He pointed to the sock and flashed his brows at her, before putting a finger to his lips and saying, “shhh,” as he unlocked the door. 

As soon as the door was open, they could hear it. The soft thud of a headboard against the wall. Orihime’s whines. 

As they got closer to the stairwell, it got more intense. “Ugh, they must have left the door open,” Shuhei said, ducking his mouth to Rangiku’s ear, temporarily drowning out the wet sounds of bodies slapping together.

Dear lord. Hearing it over the phone was one thing, but hearing it in stereo and this close up was something else. Another pulse went through her body and Rangiku knew she was wet. Then he had to murmur in her ear which made the entire thing worse. Rangiku wanted to beg Shuhei to take her right there. “So which room is yours?”

He pointed to the door in front of them and then kissed her again, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth before letting go. Then he kissed her neck, jaw, and earlobe, then whispered, “I’m gonna duck in here quick for something. You’re welcome to join, but otherwise you can wait out here and enjoy the grand finale. I’ve, uh, learned the pattern; they’re almost there.” He slipped into the dark room.

Rangiku didn’t know her way around the house all that well, so she stayed in the dark hall, her breathing shallow as she listened to the sounds that were drifting up the stairs. From the moaning, the cries, the growling and solid objects hitting each other, Rangiku was squirming where she stood, shifting her legs, trying to get some friction going. She bit her lip and almost whimpered as she heard her friend’s voice.

“Ulquiorra, oh god! Yesssss,” Orihime's gasp and hiss traveled up the stairwell.

Of course, the singer had to answer his wife.

“Come for me, Woman. Come. For. Me.”

The chorus of voices came to a crescendo. Rangiku moved her legs, rubbing them together. She felt like a pervert, but that was hot. She felt hot. She knew her face was flushed. “Shu?” she whispered, turning her head to glance at the room he disappeared into.

He had been standing just out of her eyeshot, watching. It turned him on to watch her squirm. “You like sound, huh?” he whispered back, wrapping his large hand around her elbow and guiding her back to the door. He was already halfway hard.

Rangiku blushed at his words but nodded. Hearing people like that had an effect on her. “I mean, I like watching, but hearing that kind of stuff can be--It can be erotic,” she murmured. Erotic wasn’t the word for it.

He opened the front door and pushed her out gently before silently closing the door. “Move your ass back down to that studio, Ran,” Shu growled. He was ready for this. Even if she left him hanging again this time, he was ready to get the job done himself.

That growl sent tremors through her body. Why did he sound so hot? As quick as she could, her feet carried her down the path and back to the studio side of the pool house. As soon as Shuhei was within grabbing distance she had him pinned to the wall beside the door and was kissing him, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him down to her level. She didn’t care if they were outside and everyone saw her. She wanted this and she wanted it now.

This was new. He was kind of blown away by how she was showing him her eagerness, and froze for a moment before joining her, bending his knees a bit to allow there to be less space between their bodies, his hands going back to her ass again. He smirked at the thought that he was becoming familiar with that bit of her anatomy, and hummed against her mouth. “Ran,” he murmured, as his mouth moved to her neck.

She moaned softly. Hearing him say her name sent more shivers down her body. She could feel every indent in his torso and how muscular and hard he was. This man was like a gift from the heavens. “Yes?”

“Let’s go in. I want to get these clothes off of you,” his voice rumbled through his chest cavity, low and dripping with desire as one of his hands moved off of her ass to the doorknob, opening it and slipping a long white tube sock onto it.

Her eyes moved to the doorknob and she smirked at what he was doing. She managed to untangle herself from Shuhei and slipped into the studio, setting her bag down on the nearest table and slipping off her sandals. She didn’t even wait for Shuhei to tell her to do it. Her t-shirt was the next thing that came off.

So they were on the same page. Shuhei’s blood was racing as he unzipped his hoodie and dumped it on Ulquiorra’s computer chair. His next move was to open the two big pool towels and lay them out on the green suede sofa in the studio. He wanted to piss Ulq off a bit, but he didn’t want the other guy to kill him. 

He turned to look at his… his…

His crush? Maybe that’s what he could call it. She wasn’t really his at all. That was okay, wasn’t it? She was Rangiku Matsumoto. She was self-possessed. She was perfect. Even in those Hello Kitty shorts and no make-up, there was absolutely nothing about her that he would want to change, physically. He wanted her so fucking much.

She could see him staring at her. He had this hungry gleam in his eyes. Yeah, she was tired of playing this cat and mouse game. She was tired of thinking. She had to push everything away. She wanted him. Hooking her thumbs into the shorts, Rangiku shifted her hips as she pulled them down before letting them drop to the floor and puddle around her feet. She was careful as she walked towards where she left her bag and pulled out the two condoms she had brought. Taking a deep breath, Rangiku held them out to Shuhei.

She looked nervous. That was fucking adorable. He took a step toward her and took the condoms, setting them on the desk beside him, then took her hand and put it against his shorts so she could feel his cock under her hand. “You definitely have my attention, Rangiku,” he murmured to her in a soft, almost sweet voice. He found her eyes and smiled. “You ready?”

Her teeth raked over her bottom lip as her fingers tried to encircle his cock. The shorts were stopping her from doing this. “Fair is fair, is it not?” she asked, staring up at him. Then she smiled, letting her fingers spread out to maximize the contact. “I’m ready. I want you.”

He hissed and walked over to the sofa, grabbing the condoms and losing his shorts on the way. When he got there he sat down and opened one of the foil packages, trying to figure out which way the condom was rolled. 

Rangiku smiled. So this man was a confused bunny sometimes. She watched him for a couple more seconds before she moved over to the couch and took the condom from him. Being this close to his cock was intimidating, but it was okay. She could handle this. Her hand went around his length and she gave him a few lazy strokes before placing the condom on the tip and rolling it down. “Do you want me on top?” Rangiku asked.

“That sounds like a nice way to start. I just want you,” he breathed, his voice a bit shaky. He was suddenly nervous.

A nice way to start? Could this man go like Ulquiorra Cifer could; for hours at a time? Rangiku leaned forward and kissed Shuhei as she straddled his thighs, letting her tongue lap at his mouth before retreating. She reached between their bodies, grabbing his hard cock, taking her time to touch and get a feel for it. If this was good, she wanted to feel it all the time. 

She pulled back to look at him, staring into his dark eyes. Her breathing hitched for a moment as she felt a weird flood of emotions run through her.

He saw the slight tension in her eyes and kissed her brow. “It’s okay, Rangiku. You don’t have to. I mean, I want you to. I  _ really _ want you to, but I’ll be alright.”

“No, I want to. I want you.” This would not be the time or the place to tell him it felt like her heart was singing or that she was giddy and happy to be near him. This wasn’t the place to tell him that she wanted to stay with him. Instead, she lined up his dick, rubbing the condom-covered tip against her. Feeling that against her pussy made her wonder what his naked cock would feel like. “I want  _ this _ .”

He looked into her eyes and cupped her face with both hands, just breathing for a moment. “Whatever you want, Ran. You can take it.” He didn’t know why he said that. He knew that he meant more than his dick, though. If she wanted to try to squirrel his heart away, he wouldn’t complain. It made the organ in his chest twist slightly, knowing that even if she liked him as she appeared to, Rangiku Matsumoto was not in the business of collecting hearts. She wasn’t like Momo, trying to catch him and keep him. She wasn’t like Orihime, effortlessly stealing hearts and then casting them aside. Rangiku wasn’t really about hearts at all. She was beyond that sort of thing. He closed his eyes and kissed her deeply. It wouldn’t do to ruin the heat between them with his emo bullshit. He raised his hips and pushed his cock against her slit again, moaning into her mouth at the heat.

She whimpered at the contact before using her other hand to spread her lips, seating the very tip of him inside of her. All it would take would be for her to slam herself down on him. If she did that she would die… Probably of bliss. “You’re big,” she said to him.

“You think?” he asked, finding it difficult to breathe or think at the moment. “You’re tight. And hot. And fuckin’...” he groaned a bit as his hips took the initiative and his hands left her face to reside on her hips, angling her slightly and pushing himself into her another inch. “Fuck. Jesus. Fuck, Rangiku.”

She was feeling it too. There was tension as his cock stretched her. Her head dropped forward as she moved her hips. It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t something she was accustomed to. She let her arms wrap around his neck and kissed him before she decided to take the first step. She moved her hips again and let her weight drop, sheathing more of his cock inside of her. “Ohhhh.”

He wasn’t sure if this was heaven or hell, and when he opened his eyes and saw the sweetly tortured look on her face, he decided he didn’t care. His hands pawed at her tits and he angled his face to hers again, kissing her like a madman, his voice rumbling wordless encouragement as his tongue tried to fill her mouth like his cock filled her now. It was this or he might hurt her; he wanted to move so fucking badly. 

The last two times she had been with him, she had expected some type of foreplay. Rangiku really wasn’t one for it. The way he kissed her was welcomed. It kept her mind off what was going on between her legs for a couple of seconds. When her ass rested on his thighs, Rangiku moaned again. She was at her limit, she could tell. She guessed that was what she got for fucking mediocre men. Beginning to rock her hips and trying to keep up with what Shuhei was doing was making it hotter in the studio. “God. You’re inside of me and I want it. I want more, Shu.”

His hips jerked up at her words. “More?” he squeezed the word out. “I’m sorry, this is all there is,” he managed a chuckle, and pulled out of her an inch or two before pushing up into her again. “Fuck, Ran. Fuck. You’re so fucking beautiful. You’re so fucking hot. I just wanna--” he cut himself off and did what he wanted, slouching down the sofa a bit and catching one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking on in while staring up at her flushed face with dark, hungry eyes. He kept moving his hips in that small up and down motion, encouraging her to take the lead with the fucking. He wasn’t sure how much she could take, yet.

She gave him a little nod before putting her hands on his shoulders and digging her nails slightly in before she established a slow lazy rhythm to start off with. Her mouth opened as she felt his length slide out of her, only to be pushed back in, putting pressure on her g-spot. Fuck. Between being keyed up before she talked to him and listening to his hosts fucking, Rangiku knew that this could end quickly. Hell, just Shuhei looking at her like he wanted to flip her over and fuck her into the couch was enough for a small tremble to go through her body. “Fuck me, baby. Please,” she said, not recognizing her own voice. When did she get so needy? 

She wanted him to fuck her? Hell yeah, he’d fuck her. He grabbed her by the waist and picked her up, not letting his dick slip out of her as he stood up slightly, put her on her back on the sofa, and then got comfortable. “Tell me if it’s too much,” he said before kissing her, his lips indicating his need and impatience before he drew his hips back several inches and pushed into her deliberately. “Fuck, Rangiku. I want to wreck you.” There was no malice in his voice as he moved again, carefully, shaking as he fought with his body not to just slam into her like it wanted to.

Fuck. Those words made her core clamp down on him, tightening around the cock inside of her. Should she just say that he already had wrecked her? That he was absolutely allowed to? “Do it,” Rangiku said, looking up at him. “I want to see your face when you come. I want to feel your cock inside of me as you come.”

A soft groan turned into a nasty growl as her words made their way into his brain, and he obeyed, pulling his hips back and slamming into her. Again and again he punished her, giving her everything he had as he moaned her name. 

The condom had something to do with the fact that he didn’t get off almost immediately. He felt her tighten around him and he bit down on her shoulder, moving his hips in a quick snapping motion. He was nowhere near done with her yet, though.

The hands on his shoulders moved to wrap around his chest so that she could hang on to this ride. Rangiku cried out, moaning his name and other nonsense when she couldn’t find words. Her nails dug into his skin, leaving long red marks on the surface. Fuck. Her first orgasm hit and she screamed but Shuhei didn’t stop. She had told him to fuck her and that’s exactly what he was doing. “Oh god. Oh god. Fuck me, Shuhei,” she said, bringing her legs up to wrap around his hips. The angle shifted slightly and he slid into her more. 

He growled as he felt the lowest part of his belly get wet. This was amazing. Feeling her come on his dick was like coming home. He could only imagine how it would feel without that barrier between them, feeling their hot skin move against each other. He closed his eyes and admonished himself for a second. It would be too easy to get carried away and pull out of her only to slam back in raw. Bad idea, Shu. Not cool, dude. 

Those thoughts cooled his head just enough to finish out her orgasm, and when he felt her walls relax a bit, he sat up, still inside of her, and pulled her leg near the back of the sofa up, hooking the back of her calf over his shoulder. That was nice. He smirked as he tested this out, watching the way his cock disappeared into her tight, wet hole. Damn, that looked perfect. 

He watched as he pulled out slowly, leaving only the tip inside, and then slammed back into her.  Oh, that was also nice. The view of her tits bouncing didn’t hurt either. “You doing okay down there, Baby?” he asked, feeling a bit more confident.

Her brain was like goo as he continued to move inside of her. Rangiku looked at him with a blissed out expression before biting her lip. “Uh huh,” she murmured, nodding her head as much as she could. Her body felt so relaxed, like jelly. She didn’t mind him moving her around like a ragdoll. “How about you? Does everything look okay?” she asked, blushing.

“Okay?” he asked with an incredulous smile. “You look like a fucking sex queen, Ran. You’re perfect.” he growled, slamming back into her. “Mmm, you should see the way you cling to me. It’s fucking hot.” He pulled out and slammed again. “I may not last for a third time,” he warned, grabbing her hips and starting to move again, hard and fast, using his hands to move her over his dick as his hips pushed him into her. His stare alternated between where their bodies met and her tits. “You’re like a perfect, juicy, tight little... Fuck.” He could feel a sensation creep from the base of his spine up to his shoulders. He either needed to calm down or just go with it.

A third time? Was he insane? She could barely deal with the first two! But Rangiku could feel it. She could barely restrain the noises coming from her throat. Her brain was shutting down as her legs quivered, the desire building in her again. Jesus Christ. As his body rocked into her, her body would tighten on him, making it difficult for the slide back out. She wanted to beg him to go harder and deeper. Waves of pleasure were lapping at her nerves again. “Fuck me, Shuhei. I want to come on your cock again,” she murmured. One of the hands on his back came to rest on the cushion of the sofa and she dug her claw-like nails into the surface.

“Yes,” he hissed at her words, and pushed as deep as he could go, struggling to pull out and pushing harder and deeper, faster and faster. His breath struggled, panting and calling out vague cries as he got closer and closer. The feeling of a boiling pressure was growing in his belly, and it was close to erupting. He slammed into her a few more times, his cries now coming out as rough barks, “I’m gonna-- Rangiku-- Fuck!” he shouted, as that first, almost painful rip of release shot out of him into the condom.

He kept moving, not as fast as before, as the second wave came, this one much more pleasurable than the first. His thrusts became uneven as Shuhei emptied himself into the condom, pushing as deeply as he could into her and holding until he was spent, then collapsing on top of her and closing his eyes. He tried to catch his breath and his hands came up to cover her sweat-dampened breasts, kissing one of her nipples before giving up and just resting his head between her tits.

Rangiku lay there in a daze, feeling aftershocks of her climax and his orgasm. It was pleasurable. It was nice. Also, this cuddling was nice. She didn’t get to experience too many nice things like this when with others. “Mmmm,” she hummed, content as a well-fed kitten. 

After his breathing had mellowed out, which took a good two minutes, he murmured to her, head still on her chest and thumb lazily dragging back and forth over a softened nipple, “Ran?”

“Ba--Shu?” God, that would have been embarrassing to call him baby. “Hmmm?”

“Thank you.”

Thank you? Why was he thanking her? She’s the one that should have been thanking him. She had never had three orgasms in a single night with a single person. “Thank you, too.” She relaxed the hold she had on the couch cushion, only to find that she had ripped through the suede. Oh well. If she could do that, then it wasn’t quality material. She took that hand and ran it through his hair. “Why are you thanking me?”

He chuckled. “For letting me do that. If you give me an hour or so we can do it again… I know you brought two kitty treats…”

“Please?” she said, lifting her head to look at him.

His head popped up in surprise at the way she said it, and he looked at her face with a semi-serious expression for a moment before swallowing and nodding. “Absolutely.”

***

Ulquiorra was not impressed to find a strange car in his driveway the following morning. He was not impressed to find Shuhei’s bed empty. Where could that asshole be? Was he in the pool house? He got his laptop and checked the security feed cameras. Was that??

It was Rangiku Matsumoto.

He saved the feeds and then scowled as he saw where she went.

His fucking studio. The lights were on and he saw people moving behind the frosted glass windows on the video feed. Ulquiorra closed the computer and made his way outside with the dogs trailing behind him.

His eyes were immediately drawn to the white thing hanging off the doorknob. That fucker.  _ That fucker _ . Ripping the sock off and throwing it at one of the canines, Ulquiorra opened the door to see his studio was intact, but there were two naked bodies laying on  _ his  _ couch. 

He was trying not to stare. That’s what Matsumoto was hiding under her clothes. And damn, he was lucky that Orihime had passed on Shuhei. He had a better body than Ulquiorra. Since they were asleep, this was the perfect opportunity. He dug his phone out of his pocket and quickly snapped a photo of the two laying there, before getting a photo of Rangiku’s face and her hickey-covered neck. 

He owed Shuhei a beer or twelve after this, he thought as he shut the door to the studio. If _It’sRan!_ wanted to fuck with his life, giving him complexes and spreading lies about him, Ulquiorra was going to show everyone that she wasn’t as perfect as she presented herself.


	15. Chapter 15

Rangiku didn’t care that she woke up next to Shuhei. In fact, she woke up on top of him, completely naked. She felt happy as she stretched, trying not to wake him. He had fucked her again and she put more holes in the couch. She remembered scratching him, trying to hold onto her sanity as she was coming for the sixth or seventh time. 

She couldn’t remember.

As she lay there listening to his heart beat, Rangiku thought about how she could get used to this; laying on top of him, his body between her thighs and his arms wrapped around her. She wanted this, but why with him?

She had to get herself out of that mindset.

For once she was satisfied, and she didn’t care what people thought of her. She lifted her head and nuzzled his jaw with her nose. “Shu-hei,” she said softly to him before kissing his chin.

A soft, low groan answered her. Shuhei opened his eyes to perfectly highlighted, albeit messy, blonde hair.

“Morning, Ran,” he drawled, a smile slowly stretching across his face.

“I should go before your generous hosts wake up and find me here,” she said, but had no intent to move. In fact, she cuddled up closer to him.

“Heh,” he laughed. He was tired and relaxed and not exactly worried about what Obs and Veggs thought. “You hungry?”

Was she hungry? Absolutely. “Yeah, but we’re not going to have breakfast here, are we?”

“Maybe I should call up Chez Vega for room service. What do you think?” he was joking, but he also thought Orihime might be accommodating, and was seriously considering it.

Mmmm, having breakfast with him sounded divine. She purred as she stretched again. “It’s a shame we don’t have any more treats,” she said with a pout on her face.

“I do. They’re inside though.” He raised a brow at her. “Do you want me to…?”

Either he didn’t plan on last night happening the way that it did or he was going to fuck her raw. The second scenario did not sit well with her. Maybe he wasn’t planning on having sex in here. Maybe… No, he could have grabbed some last night when he went to his room to get the sock. “Shu,” Rangiku said, pushing off of him before scowling.

“Hmm? What is it?” he asked, somewhat amused by her expression.

“Did you think you were going to have sex with me without protection?” Rangiku sat up all the way and scoffed, folding her arms under her breasts.

“Tsk, no! You told me you brought “kitty treats” when you got here last night, remember? I didn’t want to scare you off with the Costco size box of condoms I have in my room,” he said and snickered.

She rolled her eyes. “Are you seriously fucking that many women?”

He rolled his eyes. “If you must know, you’re the first woman I’ve ever fucked in California.”

Rangiku was surprised at this news. She bit her lip before saying, “Oh.” It made her feel kind of special that she was the first one to have that honor. What if he was lying? She sighed. “I think I’m more hungry than I am horny, to be honest.”

“It’s fine, Ran,” he said, eyeing her suggestively. “If we started now we wouldn’t be done until well past lunch.” He smirked after that; the boasting was not exactly low key.

“You Ohio boys certainly have some stamina, don’t you?” She asked smirking at him. “You know, to fuck for hours?”

He laughed. “I dunno; haven’t fucked any guys from Ohio. How many Ohioans do you know?” he teased.

“Ulquiorra. You. Why? Got any friends I can take surveys on?”

His eyes nearly popped out of his skull, and he looked around before hissing quietly, “You fucked Ulquiorra?!”

“No! Ewww. Yuck. He’s… he’s…he’s too obsessed with Orihime to even look at another woman. He’s from Ohio and I know him.” Rangiku scrunched her nose and swung her leg over him so that she could stand up. When she did the blonde almost fell down. Her legs still felt like rubber and they were sore.

Shuhei was on his feet in an instant, propping her up by the elbows. “Everything alright?” He asked.

She nodded. “I guess I’m not used to that kind of activity,” Rangiku said, giving him a small smile. “Maybe I need to do more squats or stair machine if this is going to be a thing.”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve been more gentle,” he said, his concern for her wellbeing distracting him from the fact that she suggested that this may become more than a one-time deal.

Rangiku raised one eyebrow and smirked at him. “Dude, I asked for it. I thought I could handle it,” she said. She glanced down at his hips then back up at him. “Might be a bit much.”

He bit his lip. “I’ll try to be smaller?” he said with rising inflection.

She smirked and pulled his head down for a kiss. “I’m going to get redressed or else we’re going to be going to your room,” Rangiku said after she broke the liplock.

Shuhei hummed. “You are something special, Rangiku Matsumoto,” he said with a dazed kind of grin.

***

Ulquiorra looked at his wife, who looked worse than Rangiku had. She had lovebites on her neck and hickeys on her chest and thighs. “So, guess who just left,” he said.

“Who?” she asked, eyes only a third of the way open and thighs unable to fully close.

“Rangiku just left.”

Her eyes cracked open wider. “What was she doing here?”

The dark-haired man gave a shrug as he crawled back into bed, laying beside Orihime. “Considering she got here late last night, wearing some booty shorts and a t-shirt...” Ulquiorra paused for a dramatic effect.

“Shu?! What?” The smile on her face was brighter than sunshine. “Wow!”

“Unless Hisagi has a twin and decided to fuck Matsumoto in my studio.... Yeah, Shu got laid and his booty call just left,” Ulquiorra said. “I’ll go down to the studio in a bit to disinfect the entire place.”

“Aww, don’t be a bad sport, Ulquiorra. It’s the least you can do to be gracious about him getting some, y’know, since you stole me from him,” she teased.

He scowled before giving her a kiss on her shoulder. “How are you feeling this morning, Woman?”

“Mmm, a bit sore, in a good way. You?”

“Drained. Happy. Tired. I love you. Do you forgive me for being an idiot?”

“You keep making it up to me like last night and I’ll forgive you for anything,” she said, rolling over to kiss him. “Seriously though? I forgive you, but you have to work on that. It gets harder to believe you every time.”

Ulquiorra nodded. “I will, Veggs. I promise. I am going to be the best man I can be to you.” He stopped speaking when he heard footsteps overhead. “Should I go talk to him or do you want to?”

“Depends. Are you going to be nice?” she asked, raising a brow at him. She stretched her arms overhead and her legs out straight, pointing her toes like a ballerina and then bringing her fingertips and toes up to touch each other, turning her entire body into a teardrop shape to limber up her spine.

“No. I’m gonna mock him for sleeping with her.”

She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I’ll talk to him first, then,” she said, launching herself up to a seated position, using the weight of her legs coming down to propel her. “I need some clothes, though.”

Smiling at his wife, Ulquiorra got off the bed and went to retrieve Orihime’s silk robe. He held it out to her. “Take a shower while you’re at it. You smell like you had sex all night,” he said with a smirk.

***

Shu came into the house just as Orihime came out of the bedroom after her shower. The dogs whined at his feet, begging to go out for a W-A-L-K. Orihime heard the commotion and came running up the steps in a casual little sundress. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere that day, so she didn’t bother hiding the evidence that Ulquiorra had left on her of their reconciliation.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard Shuhei turn toward his room. She followed him and knocked on the doorframe.

“Oh, hey, uh, Orihime. Glad you’re back.”

“Me too. So…?” she answered with a huge grin.

“So…? So what?”

“Oh come  _ on _ ! Ulquiorra told me Rangiku spent the night last night! What happened?” She took quick steps into his room and sat at the foot of his bed, looking up at him with an excited face.

“Um, well, we hung out.”

“Oh yeah right, Shuhei! I see a hickey under that nice new haircut!” she squealed.

He covered it up and blushed before turning his attention to her. “Look who’s talking! You look like you’re a vampire pet or something. Jesus. Do you just bruise easily or is Ulquiorra some kind of animal?”

It was her turn to blush. “Uh…”

Shuhei rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, and it was Rangiku on the phone when it rang while you two were boning yesterday. Apparently hearing you two is a turn on for her, so, thanks for the assist, I guess.” 

“Shu Hisagi! She heard us?!” Orihime’s eyes popped out at the revelation.

“Well, yeah. And last night when we were here, too. You guys were not exactly quiet.”

Orihime whined and covered her now-hot cheeks. “Oh my god. You perverts!” She threw his pillow at him and stood up. “I heard you guys screwed in the studio,” she said, walking toward the door. “I’m surprised Ulquiorra let you keep your balls.” She chuckled and then asked, “Did you talk to him yet this morning?”

“No. So--” Shuhei stopped talking when he heard the back door open and close.

***

Ulquiorra looked at his couch with the deepest frown his mouth could produce. There was a huge stain on the couch. He could tell because he was looking for it. There were also ten rips in the suede. Ten.

And the kicker was, they looked like claw marks.

Then he found the two condoms in the trash can and that’s when he flipped out, storming up to the house. He ran up the stairs to the balcony off of the dining room, opening the door and slamming it. “HISAGI!” he yelled, glad Princess was outside because he knew he’d be on his ass for this.

He found Shuhei and Orihime standing in the doorway of Shu’s room. “What the fuck man?”

“Uh… What?” He knew. At least he thought he knew what the other man was pissed about, but on the off-chance Ulquiorra was pissed about something less egregious than fucking in his studio, he thought asking would be preferable to admitting guilt.

“Okay, one… there’s a stain on the couch. Two, there are fucking rips in it. Three, you could have fucking thrown your trash somewhere where I couldn’t see it. Jesus fucking Christ! You don’t bring a fucking ho into my house!” Ulquiorra yelled. He knew he set Shuhei down on this path, but the man was supposed to do this at her place or a fucking motel.

Shuhei scowled. “One,  _ dude _ , she’s not a ho. Two, sorry!”

“Sorry? Sorry? Fucker! Your whore ruined a five thousand dollar couch,” Ulquiorra snapped. He knew he was being irrational, but this was unacceptable to him. Shuhei could not be fucking that bitch in his home. “Sorry doesn’t begin to cover this.”

“I will replace your couch. I’m sorry. But you were the one who wanted me to fuck her in the first place! And don’t--”

“Don’t throw that word around,” Orihime said quietly. “We’re not whores. We’re people.”

Ulquiorra was about to yell back at Hisagi but his wife’s words shut him up. “Woman, I didn’t mean you. Matsumoto is one, though. She has to be one.”

“Stop, Ulq. It doesn’t matter,” Shu said, furrowing his brows. “She is a nice person.”

It was hard for Ulquiorra to keep a straight face. As soon as Shuhei said that Rangiku was a nice person, he threw his head back and laughed and didn’t stop for a solid minute. “A nice person? Really? You only think that because she fucked you. She said that you were our fucking plaything. Think about that before you say she’s a nice person. She’s not, Shuhei, and you’ll learn that when you’ve dealt with her as long as I have.”

Ulquiorra was going to turn and go downstairs but he stopped. “You know what, you don’t have to replace the couch. Consider it a gift when you get your own fucking place.” 

“Thanks. That’s super generous,” Shuhei said, then turned back into his room and slammed the door. 

Fuck.

He knew Ulquiorra was right. Rangiku had tarnished his reputation, and Ulquiorra and Orihime’s, multiple times. But it was her job! It wasn’t personal.

Well, maybe that was true before they all met and started being social, but it couldn’t be said anymore.

Fuck.

Shuhei went to lie on his bed and closed his eyes. He knew Ulquiorra was telling the truth, but he couldn’t reconcile the woman he had slept with last night with the woman Ulquiorra was talking about. They couldn’t be the same person. The Rangiku he knew was sweet and funny and a bit shy sometimes. She was drop dead gorgeous and felt perfect wrapped around his cock.

He sighed. He didn’t know what to do.

***

“Ulquiorra,” Orihime said in a soft voice, following him as he went downstairs.

“Orihime,” he said as reached the bottom. He turned right to go down the short hall that would lead to their bedroom. “I know she’s a person. But--” He took a deep breath to keep from saying what he really thought about his wife’s friend.

“But what? Is this really about the recent reporting? Or is it still about the old stuff?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

His green eyes flickered over to where she was and he sighed as he sat on the bed. “I’ve never forgiven her for anything she’s done to me. She started this back in 2019 with the fucking video.”

She walked up to her husband and took both of his hands in hers, and then looked up at his face. “You’re not angry at her, then. She didn’t know you then. It wasn’t personal. You’re angry at yourself.”

Orihime was right. He was still angry with himself for what he allowed to happen that night. Nel was the one that sent her the screenshots and the video. Rangiku was just doing her job. Everything Rangiku reported on was stuff he had caused. The reveal of his identity, the video, his breakup with Orihime, the paparazzi photos with him and Nemu... All of those bad memories he associated with the blonde because she was the one that showed the world how Obscuras IV really was.

“She didn’t have to say a damn word about Shuhei being here with us,” he muttered.

She nodded. “You’re right. That was shitty of her. I ostracized her because of it. But she retracted it. Publicly. What I am trying to say is that you appear to have a misplaced, overblown vendetta against her. Much of the anger you are directing toward her is anger that she doesn’t deserve.”

He scoffed and shook his head. “She’s associated with Gin. I can’t stand him and you know it. I can’t stand anything that deals with him. She’s always hanging off of him like some… some... There’s rumors floating around Espada Records about what she is to him.”

Orihime had heard the rumors, too. She was always on his arm at functions, much like Nemu had been on Aizen’s. People speculated that they had met when she was working as a high-end call girl, or that they were just one another’s bootycall. Nobody knew for sure. Nobody knew how much he supported her. 

People also talked about her other indiscretions, those with other record executives at other labels. “I’ve heard the rumors, Ulquiorra. They may or may not be true. But what difference does it make? Maybe she really likes Gin. Maybe she gets paid to fuck him. I don’t know, and unless Shuhei or another friend of ours falls in love with her, it’s really none of my business.”

“I just want to drag her through the mud like she has done to me,” Ulquiorra said. He looked at his wife with a stern expression on his face. “I hope your friend isn’t dumb enough to fall in love with her.”

She gave him an unimpressed glare. “ _Our_ friend. And you pushed him toward her; it might be too late!” She sighed. “You are fixated on this. It’s not good. And need I remind you, she drags people through the mud as a profession. Last I checked, you were my rockstar. If you want to throw shade at her, write a bitter song, _Taylor Swift,_ ” she said, trying not to giggle.

His mouth opened and closed several times to think of a reply to that. Orihime knew how much he detested that singer. In the end he just huffed. “What should I do, oh wise old one? Talk to Soifon about it? We spent almost a year hashing out why I hate myself and why I let the events that happened to occur.”

“Well, maybe it’s a good idea? You can keep her in business for the next year hashing out why you hate everybody else and why you are in denial about the beautiful bromance between you and Ivan.” She giggled this time. She couldn’t help it. 

“Right. By the way, that phone call you got last night was Shu’s booty call. She wanted to talk to you,” Ulquiorra stated. He did not want to go over the frustrating topic of Ichigo Kurosaki and his household.

“Uh, yeah. About that… Maybe next time you just let it ring. Apparently Ran got rather, um, hot and bothered by that.”

A noise of disgust left his throat and he closed his eyes. “Are you serious? How do you know?”

“Shu told me. He said they heard us when they were here last night, too. Apparently we lack discretion?” she said, trying to remember Shuhei’s words. “But he said “thanks for the assist”.”

Wow, today just kept getting better and better, Ulquiorra thought. “It’s my house--our house… If I want to fuck you out by the pool or on the kitchen counter or the living room couch I will do so. Discretion. Tch. He needs to learn some fucking manners and not let his booty call leave wet spots on my suede sofa or rip holes in it. The only reason I haven’t fucked you at Ivan’s house is because I have manners, and knowing that assbag, he’d watch.”

“He’d probably watch and ask to join,” Orihime muttered. “Or worse, cut in.” She shuddered. “Nope, no husband sharing with Ivan. It’s a hard no, so don’t even ask.”

Ulquiorra’s face went from disgruntled to terrified. “Orihime. Come on. You’re going to give me nightmares with shit like that. How can I look Ivan in the eye now since you said husband sharing and his name in the same sentence?”

She scoffed. “You could do a lot worse than Ichigo Kurosaki, Ulquiorra! Besides, are you suggesting that there might be a scenario in which husband sharing might be a possibility? Dude!” she said, her mouth open and head shaking in disbelief. She was mostly giving him shit, but his wording  _ was  _ peculiar.

“Orihime, I swear to god if you’re suggesting I have any kind of interest in Ivan or anyone else… I’m going to let Adonis sleep in your lingerie drawer… drawers… I’ll let him into your closet.”

“You wouldn’t!” she gasped.

“Maybe… Maybe not. But honestly, no interest in anyone but you, my woman,” Ulquiorra said as he stood up. He walked over to her and grabbed her by the hips. “I apologize for the whore comment, but I’m kind of miffed I have to replace the couch.”

“Well, if you’re really going to give it to Shu, we should put a few stains on it of our own, don’t you think?” she asked, trailing a finger up his torso.

Ulquiorra looked down at his wife with his mouth pressed into a thin line. Damn she was tempting. “Fine. I bet I can outdo his two condoms anyway.”

“Since when have you ever used a condom? Do you even know how they work?” It was an honest question.

“Never and probably not. I’m just saying, I can do better than his two shots.”

“Prove it,” she said and stood on her toes to kiss him.

Raising an eyebrow, Ulquiorra scooped Orihime up and threw her over his shoulder. He playfully swatted her on the butt once before he walked upstairs with her. “Hey Shuhei! Do you have the other sock to the one you used last night? I need to use it!” Ulquiorra said as he reached the first floor. He didn’t wait for an answer as he walked down to the kitchen and out one of the doors with his wife protesting being carried like she was.

Shu heard the commotion but didn’t come out. He was still in his room agonizing over what Ulquiorra had said.

No. Fuck that guy. He was going to call Rangiku and forget about the green-eyed prick.

He dialed her number and chewed on the inside of his cheek as it rang.


	16. Chapter 16

Rangiku had exactly an hour to get home as fast as she could and get ready for a brunch with Gin. He wanted to talk about something. Why he needed her to come out to his house, she didn’t know. So now that she sat at the table beside the pool in his backyard with a nice plate of scrambled eggs, which she didn’t like, and fruit, her phone started beeping. 

Shit. She had a phone call and Gin was still talking about the upcoming events he would need her for.

“Darling, your phone is making a racket.”

“I know. I apologize. One moment, Gin.” Rangiku smiled that fake ass smile at the silver-haired man who smiled back at her. It only took the blonde a moment to tap out a text to Shuhei.

  * I am in a meeting. :( I want to talk to you. Can I call you afterwards? :)



She almost sent a heart emoji or the one that had heart eyes but she thought it would be too much. Smiley faces were always good. She turned back to Gin and gave him another strained smile. “So you were saying?”

“Right, so I’ve talked to Robert Accutrone and he’s interested in cultivating your image. He wants to be your manager and agent. You know, I could sign you to Espada Records, Rangiku. I know you can’t sing, which is a pity because you have the face and body that would sell millions. We could run your voice through one of those programs to make you sound good.”

The blonde tried not to flinch or wince when he said that. She knew Gin just thought she was a stupid woman with huge boobs and a tiny waist. “I can’t sing. Sorry. It was never one of those things I was interested in so I never explored it, Gin. You were saying about Mr. Accutrone?”

“Of course. He’s big with some guys at E!. There’s already several YouTube stars that have their own show. He’s talking about getting you some guest spots on there. With a manager it might make it easier for you instead of just using an agency to filter out the bad job offers. Are you doing alright on money? Monetization of the videos and your Instagram sponsors should be keeping you afloat.”

“Yeah, of course there’s always your generosity. I appreciate it, Gin.” Rangiku flashed him a brilliant smile.

“If you ever need more clients, I could introduce you to a couple of friends of mine.”

Rangiku opened her mouth to refuse the offer when her phone chimed. Her eyes glanced at the device and then back at Gin. His ice blue eyes were open and his head tilted to see the words on the screen.

“Shuhei? As in Shuhei Hisagi? I met him at Grimmjow’s failed birthday bash. That reminds me that I have to talk to Ulquiorra about his little fit he threw in the airport. Why haven’t you done an episode on it?”

“I’m interviewing Shuhei for an expose on him. He was involved with OIV and Vega Highwell. ” 

“Hmmm, it says, okay, H-M-U. I’m free all day,” Gin said. “You’re not mixing business and pleasure are you, Ran?”

The way he said the shortened form of her name made her skin crawl; like Gin was trying to be cute about it. She gave him a smile. “I can read my texts, thanks Gin. And no, you know I never immerse myself with the people I’m about to talk about. Mister Hisagi said that if I ever wanted clarification about the events that happened in Ohio or Austin, he would give me a rundown.”

“Ah, well, you’re a good gossip vlogger to get that information. The best in the business,” Gin said, taking a sip of his juice.

Right, she was a gossip vlogger; one who had the seed of feelings planted for a man she barely knew, but wanted badly. 

It was an hour later that she was sitting in her car in Gin’s driveway. She put her phone in the holder and told the device to call Shuhei.

“Hey,” he said in a sleepy voice. While he waited for her call and contemplated the mixed feelings he was having, he had dozed off.

“Hi, sorry that took a bit. Were you napping? If so I can call you back later, so you can get back to it,” Rangiku said as she began to drive, pulling onto the quiet street. She was trying to cheer herself up. Being around Gin and listening to him drone on about business was tedious, and his little jabs and insults only dragged her down further.

“No, no, I need to get up. I have to get to bed at a relatively normal hour tonight; I have to work tomorrow. How was your meeting?” he said, putting on a smile and slipping into the mentality he had before she left. It was easy to do when he had her voice in his ear.

She wanted to tell him it was boring. It was grating. It was a pain in the ass. Rangiku said nothing of the sort. “Oh you know, or maybe you don’t know… Meetings like this are a drag and I almost fell asleep. I’ve not had quality sleep over the past two days, like you. And, you’re working tomorrow?”

“Yeah. They’ve got me on, um, confectionary tomorrow so it’s not the crack-of-dawn bread shift, luckily,” he lied. He did not enjoy lying to her. She was who she was, though, and she would be remiss not to report his new record deal and collaboration with one of last year’s Grammy winners.

“I’m sorry,” she said with sympathy. “I have no clue what that is, but it sounds horrible; the bread thing, not the confectionary stuff. So, uh...” Rangiku sighed. She wanted to tell him she had been thinking about last night and what she said this morning. The words sounded flat in her head though, and he had said he didn’t expect what they had to last. A couple hookups and a night of phenomeonal sex weren’t anything to go on.

“I got in an argument with Ulquiorra this morning. Apparently we did a bit of damage to the studio sofa,” he said after a brief pause.

Oh. Well. “I’m sorry for that too. If you hadn’t done such a good job I wouldn’t have had to cling to something like my life depended on it. I mean if you do such a good job on a couch, I can’t wait to get you into an actual bed.”

“What are you doing tonight? I’ve got this sad, unopened, economy-sized box of kitty treats that I wouldn’t mind sharing with you…” Lord, he was pathetic and desperate. The worst part was, he generally wasn’t a very horny guy. He didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about sex excessively or trying to scheme up ways to get it. But with Rangiku, it felt like any chance he had he was exploiting.

Rangiku laughed. “You have to go to bed early tonight, remember? Ash wasn’t very happy that I wasn’t home last night either, but I’m not really doing anything tonight. I was going to work out, but my thighs are screaming at me every time I move them. A nice long soak in a nice hot bath sounds nice.”

‘You gonna send me more bath selfies?” he asked, a smooth, charming voice that he didn’t recognize as his own.

“Shuhei, are you flirting with me?” she teased. Rangiku smiled as she turned her car to drive towards Malibu. God she was fucking hard up for him. She was just getting it out of her system. Those feelings she had for him was just superficial desire and lust. “I might send you some.”

“I might send you some back if you’re nice to me,” he said. Hopefully she wouldn’t be grossed out or offended by the idea.

A giggle left her mouth and she had to stop herself from squealing like a high school girl. She was a lady and ladies didn’t make asses of themselves. “Are the Cifers around?”

“Yeah, I just watched Ulq carry Hime outside over his shoulder like a Neanderthal. Why do you ask?”

“Curious,” she said, biting her lip and smiling. “Do you think if I showed up, he’d maim me?”

An unsure chuckle answered her. “Maybe. You put clawmarks in the suede.” A thought came to him. “I bet if I went over to the studio and cracked the door open you’d be able to hear them go at it again, though. It’s like they never watch TV or read or anything. It’s all fuck fuck fuck all the time,” he joked, trying to steer the conversation away from what Ulquiorra had said about the blonde.

“As I said, you are too good at sending me over the edge. I didn’t want to claw up your back anymore than I did,” she said. Just thinking about those sounds last night coupled with the sensation of Shuhei and his cock were doing things to her. She started squirming in her seat and whined. “Shu...”

“Yes?” he drawled the word out in a slow, deliberate question.

Rangiku whined again. “When I get there, I want you to bend me over something. I want you to fuck me again.”

“Hnngh,” he growled through the phone. “Your wish is my command. Hurry. I’m hanging up.”

As soon as the call ended, Rangiku had to concentrate on driving. It still took her almost forty minutes to get to the Cifer residence. She had to wonder what it would be like to live in the area, she could just pop in any time to see him or maybe he could just--No, Rangiku. Pump the brakes on those thoughts. Dammit.

She would not be moving out of her apartment in Sherman Oaks. She would not be moving in with anyone. She would not have a roommate, no matter how big his dick was or how good he fucked. She looked at the gate and then sighed as she pressed the buzzer. 

“What?” came Ulquiorra’s voice. He sounded annoyed.

“Open your gate,” Rangiku said.

“Why? Here to fuck up my--Hey!”

Much to Rangiku’s surprise the gate opened. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to Orihime. She knew the tiny woman was the only one with balls big enough to go up against her husband. It was a miracle that the two of them were together. Ulquiorra was so different than Orihime… Kinda like she was totally different than Shuhei. Hmmm. That was something to file away and think about later.

As she pulled up to the house, Rangiku saw Ulquiorra standing on the walkway that led to the front door. She turned off her car, checked her makeup and hair, then grabbed her Birkin before stepping out of the car. With her heels, it put her almost at the Espada Records star’s height. “Hello Ulquiorra.”

“Matsumoto, what are you doing here?”

She smiled at him and pointed at herself. “Me? I came to see how Orihime was doing. I also came to see if I could have a word with Mister Hisagi. I am a gossip monger, remember?”

“You fucked up my couch.”

The smile stretched just a bit further. Shit. Did Ulquiorra know… wait, yes, Shu had said something about it. “Well, I have a job to do so if--”

“If you’re going to continue to fuck him, take him to a hotel or to your own fucking place. Or take him to Gin’s. I’m sure the guy likes being cuckolded anyway, whore,” Ulquiorra said before he moved out of Rangiku’s way. 

As soon as he was out of sight, Rangiku’s shoulders dropped and she frowned, staring at the toes of her heels. Okay. Maybe she deserved that. After all, _It’sRan!_ almost fucked up his relationship with Orihime. She sniffled and blinked several times, surprised that her vision was blurry. 

Fuck. She couldn’t go into that house crying. She couldn’t let anyone see her cry. She dug into her bag and pulled out her sunglasses, putting them on her face before she turned around and went back to her car. Fuck Ulquiorra Cifer. She was just doing her damn job and he was news. It wasn’t her fault that he kept doing dumb shit for her to put out there.

She pulled out her phone and was going to text Shuhei, but she didn’t know what to say to him. Somehow telling him his host was a giant asshole and she wasn’t in the mood didn’t seem the best thing to say.

***

“You’re mean. We just talked about this.” Orihime said to her husband. She had heard everything Ulquiorra said to Rangiku and had knocked on Shuhei’s door to go after her or call her because her stubborn-ass husband couldn’t listen to reason.

Shuhei scowled at the other man as he walked through the living room to the front door. As soon as he was outside, he saw Rangiku close her car door. He jogged up to the driver’s side door as she was sitting there, looking down at the steering wheel. He tapped on the glass.

Rangiku knew who was knocking on the glass. She turned and looked at Shuhei before she rolled down the window. “Hey,” she said, giving him a half smile. “Something came up… I’ve got to...”

He ducked his head into the window and kissed her. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t care if you have somewhere to go.”

“But you have to work,” she replied, bring up her fingers to touch her lips. He had kissed her. Shuhei had kissed her in a public space.

He sighed, then rallied. “I’ll follow you to your place. It’s closer to my work, anyway. Let me just pack a bag quick?”

“Okay, but--” She stopped speaking and sighed. Why was she getting upset? Jackass Cifer was just telling the truth. He had probably said the same words to Shuhei about her. “Are you sure?”

Shuhei looked toward the house. He could only guess what Ulquiorra said to her; Orihime hadn’t been specific. But based on the conversation that morning, he had a decent idea. “You… We just met. You seeing other people doesn’t make you a bad person.”

Rangiku shook her head. It wouldn’t do to have this conversation, especially with him. “Go pack and we’ll go back to my place,” she said to him. Why was this an issue? People called her bad names all the time and usually she let it roll off her back.

Shuhei kissed her again. “I’ll be right out. If you want to go on ahead, I remember the way.”

Before he could get very far, Rangiku grabbed the front of Shuhei’s shirt and pulled him back to her. He was the only man so far in her life that believed in her. He treated her like she was somebody. She kissed him again, not caring if her lipstick was smudged. “I’ll see you soon, yeah?” she asked, swallowing the lump in her throat. She would not cry.

He gave her a warm smile and trailed a finger down the side of her cheek and answered, “Absolutely.”

***

Rangiku pulled into her parking space and waited for Shuhei outside. She didn’t know why this was getting to her. Shu was a conquest. He was just a conquest. He was a story. That was it. If her team members or anyone she was associated with knew what she was doing and who she was doing it with, there would be talking and rumors and scandals all around. Why did she have to give him a chance? Why did she have to let him in? Why was she so interested in him? Was it the bad boy persona? Was it the fact that he had tattoos and had been to prison? Okay it wasn’t prison, just county jail.

Still! The guy had had a probation officer!

She continued to stand there until he pulled into the space next to her car, thinking. She had feelings for him. It started in that hotel in Calabasas. He was the first man to ever see her when she was a mess, then she continued this trend. Then last night happened and Rangiku had to admit she wanted something like Orihime had. She wanted the hot sex. She wanted the security of having someone there. She wanted to know what was going on with Shuhei and his job. She wanted to hear him sing to her.

There was no reality to this life, though. He was a baker. Her life revolved around the internet and she made her money by being someone’s shiny toy to show off. 

When she saw him, Rangiku smiled, glad she still had her sunglasses on. At least she could put forth a happy face for him. 

He got out of his car with a duffle bag and his guitar case. “Let’s get inside, shall we?” he asked, returning her smile.

Nodding, Rangiku dug her keys out of her bag and led the way to the elevator and then her apartment. She felt Shuhei behind her. It was comforting to feel that. It felt like he could protect her. The question was, would he? 

Here she was planning a hypothetical life with him again. She gave a sharp chuckle as she unlocked her door and went through. Of course, Ash was vocal as soon as she walked in. Rangiku ignored the animal until that expensive designer purse was put away and her phone was in her hand. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to take all this off,” she said to Shuhei.

He did. He sat on her bed and took out his guitar. He had to practice before he started recording at Soul Society tomorrow. He strummed and started singing softly as Rangiku went about her homecoming routine.

The door was locked. Rangiku looked through her mail. She took a selfie in her kitchen, planning to upload it to Instagram. Ash was fed and given fresh water. She sighed loudly as she removed the heels. It was good to be out of those shoes, she thought as she put them away in one of her closets.

Rangiku heard Shuhei playing and smiled as she reached behind her and pulled the zipper of the dress down. It was hard to do and took her several positions which would make a contortionist cry but she finally was able to step out of it before carefully putting it on a hanger. It would need to be dry cleaned soon. She would have to do laundry this weekend, she thought. Today was an off day. but the rest of the week was packed with activities to film and things to do.

Sometimes she wanted to scream. She wanted to fight this box she had put herself in and show everyone who Rangiku Matsumoto really was. The problem was, no one cared. Gin didn’t care. No one on her team cared. 

She didn’t notice that the music had stopped, but she noticed his breath against her hair after a pair of warm, strong hands fell onto her bare shoulders. “Shhhh,” was all Shuhei said at first.

The blonde turned to look at him her brows coming together, concern painting her face. “Sorry,” she murmured.

What was she sorry for? He pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t care that she was nearly naked or that she was dating some record executive to further her career or if Obscuras IV had it out for her. 

“You’re fine, Ran. Don’t worry about Ulquiorra. He’s an asshole. He has always been an asshole, even when he was a little kid. He’s a nobody, just like me.”

A small laugh left Rangiku. She had to tell him. “You’re not a nobody, Shu,” she stated. Could she tell him? 

“Maybe not,” he said, stroking her back, from hair to shoulder blades. “But Ulq is. He doesn’t care who he hurts sometimes. He almost wrecked his marriage just because he can’t be challenged. Orihime is so sweet. He shits on her all the time. Don’t take  _ anything _ that douche says to heart, got it?”

Rangiku bit her lip, glad that she hadn’t said what she really wanted to say to him. It was a good thing she had some restraint. The way Shuhei talked about the redhead made her heart twist with longing. He was right. They had just met. He had known Orihime longer. He had pined for her and they had lived together! Now he was talking bad about Ulquiorra. Shu was probably making plans to displace the closed off singer. 

She put her hands on his chest and smoothed out the shirt he wore. “I got it. Thank you Shu. If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower. I’m in for the night and I don’t want to be buried under all this makeup.”

He smiled at her. “Good. I think you look sexier without it, anyway.”

Her mouth turned upward. She had to put her mask back on. It didn’t take much for her to step away from him and into the bathroom. Rangiku couldn’t help think that Orihime didn’t wear much makeup either. Did he tell her how sexy she looked? Had he been lying about her being the first woman he had sex with while living out here? Rangiku stepped out of her panties and hung her bra on a hook before she adjusted her shower. She couldn’t take a bath with Shuhei here. She couldn’t sing badly to old songs and pour her heart out to Ash while the cat judged her from top of the cabinet that held the towels. 

As soon as she stepped foot into the shower, a tear slipped out of Rangiku’s eyes. It had been a while since she had a breakdown. She tried to hard to be strong and put forth this front of everything being fine. Everything was fine but the room was on fire and she was sitting in the middle of it all, smiling.

It was exhausting.

She hoped the shower drowned out her sobs. It would be embarrassing for the man in the next room to hear her lose her cool. After some minutes of her trying to suppress her emotions and all that was coming out were shaky breaths, Rangiku washed her hair and then left conditioner in it while she washed her face and body. She was feeling slightly better as she just stood under the spray of hot water. When she felt like she could deal with everything, she got out and wrapped her hair in a towel then dried off, slipping on a silk robe that was a gift from Gin. It was exactly like the one Orihime owned, but it was pink and short instead of white and somewhat long. All that she had to do now was brush her teeth and rub that expensive face cream onto her skin.

She came out of the bathroom, gently using the towel to squeeze the moisture from her hair. 

“Yeah. Yeah. I gotta go, she’s here. Yep. I love you too. Say hi to Rich for me. Yes. I will, I promise. Uh huh. Bye,” Shuhei said into his cell phone with a relaxed smile, then looked at Rangiku. “My mom says hi,” he said, the smile becoming a bit bashful.

Her heart started racing when she heard his words and for some reason when he told whoever was on the phone that he loved them, Rangiku kind of wanted to just slip back into the bathroom and stand under the shower for the rest of the evening. Then his words hit her.  _ His mom says hi. _ His  _ mother  _ said hello to  _ her _ ? “Oh, you told your mom about me?” Rangiku asked, her cheeks turning pink.

His own cheeks got a bit rosy. “Um, yeah, I mentioned that I was kind of seeing someone and that I was waiting for her… I hope you don’t mind,” he huffed out a defeated laugh and looked at his lap. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody, stop putting your foot in your mouth.

He told his mother he was kind of seeing someone? His mother said hi to her. Rangiku almost squeed in delight. Maybe they were on the same page. Maybe her concerns about Orihime and him were just crazy ideas. Seeing someone? The idea made her smile 

Rangiku pulled the towel from her head and walked over to where Shuhei was sitting on the bed. She pulled on the sash that held the robe closed and untied it, letting it slowly open. “I don’t mind at all. It just means that you’re somebody to me, Shu.” 

His head rose up her body slowly. She couldn’t mean that. He smiled at her anyway. Maybe she meant it in the moment. He could understand that. Maybe hell had frozen over and she was possibly thinking about him a little bit the way he was thinking about her. He reached for her, his hands curling around her legs and raising up over the swell of her hips to her ribs and back down. “Ran,  _ you _ are somebody. You’re so… so fucking bright.” His fingers spread across her sides and he pulled her toward him, into his lap. When she landed, his arms came around her and he nosed the side of her face until he could kiss her. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” he finished after he broke the kiss.

Her chest felt warm as he spoke. What was this feeling? She had never felt this for Gin. She hadn’t felt like this with anyone she was just seeing. Letting her fingers worm their way under his shirt, Rangiku kissed him; it was more of a peck than an actual kiss. “I won’t. I’m your somebody after all. I don’t need to listen to anyone but you.”

Well shit. When she decided to let someone in she opened the floodgates.

Some tiny voice in the back of Shuhei’s mind sounded a tiny warning. Not a light or a siren, more of a Space Odyssey 2020 robotic voice, pleasantly reminding him, “perhaps you shouldn’t do this now, Shuhei”. But Shu knew that thinking was overrated. It was his motto. Another part of his brain chastised him for sounding like an animated lion singing Hakuna Matata.

He hated musicals.

He smiled into her kiss and let his hands sweep over her body, fondling her breasts and ass. “I told you you’re special, Ran,” he said in a low rumble, nibbling on her earlobe.

She gave a content sigh, grateful that her emo shower crying and thoughts had no traction. Rangiku pushed on his chest so that he was lying back on the pillows. “I’m going to show you how special I am. Do you like blow jobs?”

His throat was suddenly dry and he had to swallow twice before he could even nod. Did he like blowjobs? Even if he didn’t, he’d never come close to one from someone like her. “Yeah,” he finally croaked out, kicking himself mentally for his lack of chill.

The smile on her face grew as Rangiku brought a hand up and removed her robe from one shoulder and then the other, letting it fall to the floor. She didn’t really give a damn if the La Perla robe was going to wrinkle. She was going to please her somebody.

It didn’t take much for her to grab the waistband of the shorts he wore and drag them down his hips. She had to giggle at the sight of him wearing boxers. “Nice,” she said before slipping her hand in the opening in the front. She would tease him a bit before getting down to business. Rangiku was still impressed and slightly intimidated by the size of Shuhei’s cock. It hard to believe something that big had fucked her last night.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking,” he murmured as he looked down at her body. He hissed when her hand came into contact with his cock.

“And just what are you thinking?” Rangiku asked, feeling the skin beneath her hand quickly becoming firm. She squeezed the tip gently and looked up at him. “Tell me what you’re thinking?”

“Nice, like you said,” he replied, his voice catching in his throat when she squeezed him. “But now that you ask, I’m thinking, who am I and how did I—” his breath stopped again as she stroked a sensitive spot. “—get to be so lucky?”

She smiled while removing her hand from his boxers before tugging them down. When his dick sprang up, the grin widened. “I would think you’d be good for a week after last night,” Rangiku said, wrapping her hand around the length.

“Rangiku,” he breathed, then says, “I may not be as obsessed with sex as some guys, but come on, how do you think I could be satisfied now that I’ve been inside you?” His head tilted back for a moment and a soft groan left his throat both at the memory and at what she was doing now. “Just thinking about your name gets me in a way.”

Giving Shuhei a kiss before she moved, she positioned herself so she was sitting between his thighs. If just thinking about her name got him going, she was really going to give him something to remember. Leaning forward, the blonde woman kissed his abs, letting her tongue trail down the indentations of muscles and letting her teeth ghost over them, smirking when he made a noise. Somehow she could feel his dick getting harder.

It did not take her long to feel his cock nestled between her tits. He seemed to like them so much. 

Oh fuck, that was a picture worth remembering. He couldn’t fight the perverted grin that washed over his face and the small jerk of his hips. Oh, yeah. He could get used to this view. “Ran,” he muttered fondly, “You’re gonna get a chinful of jizz if you’re not careful.” His hips moved again and his grin grew a bit wider. He wasn’t trying to be seductive. He wasn’t trying to be anything. He was being completely honest.

“I swallow, so that’s not a thing,” she said, as she pressed her tits together and did an experimental slide with them against his cock. The way his hips jerked was satisfying. The groan from his throat gave her a feeling of power. “Maybe another time we can explore this and you can come all over my tits.”

“Whatever you want, do it,” he growled, his cock starting to strain. “Please.”

She gave a chuckle before she moved down a bit lower and got to her hands and knees with her ass sticking up in the air. Rangiku’s hand moved from the tip of his cock, making sure her thumb brushed the ridge of his head before following the underside, all the way to the base. She wasn’t one of those women who went straight for the head. No. Rangiku liked starting from the bottom and working her way up. 

Giving Shuhei a glance, Rangiku pressed her lips against the base of his cock. She tried to keep from whimpering as she smelled herself on him. That was quite a turn on.

He had to keep from grabbing his dick and jerking it. He was getting impatient, and his dick was starting to hurt. Still, this was a treat. A hand reached out to grab a lock of damp blonde hair, enjoying the way it slipped through his fingers.

It looked like this was torture for him, she thought, as she began placing fleeting kisses on his dick. It was only when she reached the head of the length that she opened her mouth, the tip of her tongue flicking against the skin there. Rangiku watched his face carefully with everything she did. She wanted to know what would bring him the most pleasure and do it over and over again. 

Oh fuck, the instinct to grab her hair and push her mouth down on him was strong. He resisted, but it did not come easily. He wanted to enjoy this and not fuck it up. He had to balance that with his desire to just flip her over and fuck her silly.

When she got to the tip, Rangiku smiled. “Something wrong?” she asked in a teasing voice, still stroking him as she kissed and licked his cock. She didn’t know why she got such a kick out of teasing people. It was probably because she didn’t have any control over anything.

“You’re going to kill me, you do know that, right?” he groaned. She was evil. It was official. “I can be evil too, you know. Keep it in mind.”

Her teeth raked over her bottom lip before Rangiku opened her mouth and slipped the head into her mouth. A drop of precum came out of the tip and hit her tongue. He tasted good. Her tongue wrapped around the head of Shuhei’s cock as she began to gently suck, moving her head slowly.

The groan that ripped from his throat was obscene and his head lolled back onto his shoulders for a minute while he processed the sensation of her mouth on him. It was just as hot as it had been between her legs, but not as tight. There was more going on, though, and the way her tongue moved on him inside of her soaking wet mouth was making his brain overload. “Fuck, Ran!” he hissed, fighting with his hips to stay still, and managing to only let them raise off the mattress about half an inch.

Her blue eyes were still watching him. Rangiku saw what she was doing to him. It was a turn on, making her wet. She pulled off of him slightly and smirked, “You like that, Baby?” she asked before once more taking him in. This time she went lower and increased the suction while her tongue slid against him. He was so big, she couldn’t get more than half of him in her mouth without gagging.

“I do,  _ Baby _ ,” he seemed to purr, unable to stop his hips from pumping slightly anymore. One of his hands came down to caress the side of her face as he did this. He didn’t hold her down. Instead of pushing himself into her deeper he just let her head rise and fall with his movements. He wouldn’t do anything like that to her, not unless she asked. “Your lips look awesome wrapped around my cock, Ran,” he said, although his eyes were closed when he said it.

She hummed, her mouth vibrating around him. Hearing him call her that endearment also sent a shiver through her body. She closed her eyes and focused on what she was doing, letting her mouth slide up and down his wet shaft. He kept leaking precum onto her tongue and she wanted more. She wanted to feel him come in her mouth. Reaching up with a hand, Rangiku grabbed his cock and started stroking what wouldn’t fit into her mouth, increasing her movements. She wanted to hear him.

This time she was rewarded with a whimper and a moan. “Aw, fuck, Rangiku. Keep doing that,” he said, struggling to keep his eyes open. He didn’t want to miss this sight, but he was getting wrapped up in the feeling of her mouth and hands on his cock. He wanted to blow his load all over her and in her. He wanted to choke her with his dick and then give it to her again. Why did she have such a strong effect on him? He had never felt this way about Momo. Usually with her he could take it or leave it when it came to sex, and it was usually just about indulging what the tiny woman wanted until he got off and passed out.

Not with Rangiku. If she could stay up, he would show her how much he meant it when he promised her all night.

She kept it up, syncing the movements of her mouth and hand, letting spit roll down, lubricating the skin that her hand was pleasing. She moaned, taking him in a little bit deeper. She glanced up at him, liking how his eyes were squeezed shut and it looked like he was trying to hang on. She’d make him come undone.

She had to shift her legs to hold up her chest and torso before she brought her hand up to massage his balls, fingers gently running over them. She was careful as she pressed the pad of her thumb behind them.

It all happened so suddenly, she touched his sac and he felt them tighten, and then at the press of her thumb against his perineum and that band that held him together snapped. “Shit!” he hissed, ejaculating into her mouth without warning.

“Sorry!” he said as an apology and a warning as jet after jet streamed into her mouth.

Holy shit, she thought as she pulled back to let his cum fill her mouth. She had to swallow twice to keep from it dribbling out of her mouth. When it seemed like nothing more was coming out of his cock, Rangiku let go of the member with a soft pop and sat up, wiping the corners of her mouth with a finger. “Why are you sorry? Wasn’t that the whole point of me giving you head?”

The sound that came from his mouth was more of a whine than words when he answered, “Yes, but, y’know, manners.”

It took a minute for his vision to clear out and then he looked down at her and smiled. “Come’ere,” he said, holding a hand out to her.

Another tremble went through her as she took his hand and was pulled up to him. Rangiku blushed and buried her face into Shuhei’s neck as his arms went around her. “I’m glad you liked that,” she said.

“I like you,” he said into her hair.

Her face seemed to get hotter when he said that. Of course he liked her. She just had his dick in her mouth and swallowed his cum. Her brain was running on emotions and lust so she didn’t filter herself like normal. “I like you too, Shuhei,” she replied. “Probably more than I should.” 

He chuckled softly. “We’ll see if you should or not. You know what else I like?” he asked, kissing her temple.

“My cat?”

‘How did you know?” he asked with a lazy but wicked grin as he pulled her onto his chest and pushed her up into a seated position. He looked at her for a long moment with a fond expression before pulling her hips toward his face.

“Well I know you like my kitty. Should I get a condom?” she asked looking at him, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. His dick was out of commission for the time being. “You might want a pillow or two, though,” he said, raising his knees and shoving a pillow between Rangiku’s back and his thighs, still pulling her hips up to his face. “In case you want to lie back and relax,” he added, throwing another 2 pillows from behind his head over to his side so she could use them if she wanted. Then he jerked her hips the rest of the way forward so that her pussy was right on top of his chin. He didn’t waste any time before sliding his tongue into her slit and tasting the flavor he’d been missing since that night the last time he was here.

Oh god. Rangiku held onto the headboard for dear life as she felt his tongue against her. Fuck. She was so ramped up and already wet that it didn’t take her long to get off and drench his face.


	17. Chapter 17

Shuhei showered, dressed, and kissed Rangiku goodbye early in the morning, making sure she knew he was leaving.

“I’m busy until the weekend. I’m going to miss you, Ran,” he said, running a hand down her body over the blankets and resting it in her ass.

“Mmmm,” she said rolling over towards him. “We can always say fuck jobs and become beach bums,” Rangiku murmured. She opened her eyes and stared at Shuhei. God he was sexy. She just wanted to keep him there. She smiled at him and ran a hand through his damp hair. “You’re the first man to ever wake me up before nine am after I moved out here.”

He had a minute and he was intrigued. “What about before you moved out here?”

Rangiku stretched before she sat, letting the blanket fall away from her body and exposing her tits to him. “Alarm clock; parents that told me I was lazy and to get out of bed,” she said. Her blue eyes found his dark ones and Rangiku bit her lip. She didn’t want him to go but knew he had to. He couldn’t depend on the generosity of the Cifers forever. She got to her knees on the mattress so that he didn’t have to bend so far. “Can I… Can I have another kiss? Can I call or text you tonight?”

“Absolutely,” he told her, not waiting for her and pushing her back down into the bed with his body weight before crushing his lips to hers and kissing her deeply. When he pushed himself back up, he was breathing harder and his cheeks were flushed. “Call or text as much as you want. Leave messages. I’ll listen to them,” he said, sweeping her hair away from her face and smiling.

A long whine left her mouth as she lay on the bed, knees bent and legs splayed open. “You’re not funny. How am I supposed to go about my day thinking about that kiss?” She knew she was being evil too. “Okay, I will. Don’t be surprised if you check your phone and there’s like a hundred messages and it’s stupid stuff.”

“You can always masturbate thinking about me. I know I do thinking about you,” he said, grinning. “I’ll look forward to those one hundred messages.”

Oh shit. Rangiku’s eyes widened and she glanced at her bedside table where all of her _toys_ were kept. “I don’t know if I have a big enough vibrator to replicate that,” she said before sitting up again. This time she stood up, kissing him again, then started to walk over to the bathroom door. “Have a good day, _Baby_.”

She was too fucking cute. He closed the distance between them with a long stride, then grabbed her by the waist and, with a flying leap, flopped on the bed between her legs and rolled over so she sat on his belly. He pulled her down by the shoulders to kiss her again.

“Shu, c’mon if you keep this up, you’re going to be late. It’s bad enough we were up late last night. You were supposed to have an early night,” Rangiku said, laughing at him. It wouldn’t hurt to tease him though. She reached between their bodies and ran a hand over his groin, smirking as she felt his cock jump. She didn’t think the man knew the definition of a quickie.

“Hnngh, fuck. You’re right. He—My boss, I mean, is gonna kill me if I’m late.” He pecked her lips and pushed her up and off of him gently.

She was glad when Shuhei was standing again. She might have said fuck it and ridden him. “Go, I’ll talk to you later!”

***

Ulquiorra looked at Gin and scowled. He was sitting in one of Espada Records’ conference rooms with Ggio, Aaron, Nanao, Grimmjow, and Komamura. Gin, Tosen, and Maria Cifer sitting on the other side of the glossy black table. 

“Did you two enjoy your childish display?” Tosen asked, his head only moving slightly as he looked between Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. 

The lead singer watched as one of Tosen’s dreadlocks swung. “Had Grimmjow--”

“Shut the fuck up. You’re just--”

“QUIET!” Komamura yelled.

It was deathly silent in the room. “Thank you Koma; always willing to be the mouthpiece for us,” Gin said. “Since you two do not want to play nice, we’re going to make you work together. I know we discussed you two having extended time off, but we’ve retracted that decision. You’re doing a festival tour.”

“WHAT?” the four men asked in unison.

“Orihime is going on tour; I cannot possibly do festival shows! I told her I would be there.”

“Hailey is going to be having the baby soon. Ichigo is a fucking dipshit when it comes to stuff like that.”

“Festivals?” Ggio asked, sounding disgusted. “No, thanks.”

Aaron looked defeated. Ggio patted his thigh before Aaron spoke. “I’m starting rehab. I can’t do it.”

Gin’s smile got bigger as the four men fell silent. “Oh dear. Well if you can’t do the performances as Obscuras IV then I guess that puts Grimmjow and Ulquiorra in violation of their contract. If you choose to break up the band, Espada Records will retain all rights to the name Obscuras IV and any music you’ve done up until this point. That means your YouTube and Instagram accounts belong to us since they are the official accounts for the band.”

Ulquiorra glared at the silver haired man with his stupid fuckboy haircut on his stupid head with its dumbass smile. There was no way he would ever give up control of his band and the name or the accounts that went with it. The green-eyed man looked at Grimmjow and then his mother. She was looking down at some paperwork. “You’ve fucked us over,” he said as he looked at the record execs.

“Ulquiorra, knock it off. You embarrassed us. You could have been arrested and charged with something. You could have been hurt,” Maria said, not bothering to look at her son. “You are not to go to any show without Nanao and you know that. What would we have done if something happened to you?”

“I already got this lecture from my wife.”

“Did you learn the lesson though? Did it teach you anything?”

“This is punishment. OIV is a group and you must present yourself as such. It may be your band, Ulquiorra, but all of the work these other gentlemen have put in will not go unrecognized,” Tosen stated.

Ulquiorra opened his mouth but was interrupted by Grimmjow leaning forward and turning his head to look at him. “We can do it. I’ll stop with my trolling and baiting you. You have to give me some creative leeway though, man. You can’t get butthurt every time I want to mix something up.”

The frontman just sat there and looked at the table and didn’t say anything. He had to think about this.

***

After Rangiku emerged from the bathroom she was kind of sad that Shuhei was gone. She was afraid this would happen. The few times she had gotten attached to someone, she fell fast and hard. She sighed as she flopped onto her bed, pressing her face into his pillow. God, is that what she thought now? That it was _his_ pillow? She had to laugh as she took a deep breath in. He still smelled like the same Shuhei. A faint scent that eluded her. He probably used some basic castile soap. This morning he went into work smelling like strawberries and cream unless he had used one of the other multitudes of soap that were around her bathroom. 

She had it bad for him. Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, Rangiku fell back onto the bed and snapped a couple of photos to upload to Instagram. They showed her with a pouty face against the pillow he used and a naked shoulder. Okay so there was a hint of cleavage in there too. Sex sold… everyone in Los Angeles knew that.

Tagging it with the caption: _Is it the weekend yet?_ _#missingyou_ _#latenights_

It didn’t take but a couple of minutes for the likes and comments to border into the hundreds. She knew by the end of the hour, it’d be in the tens of thousands. She sent the same pic to Shuhei with a message.

  * Do you have IG?



After she sent it, she decided not to waste the day and dressed in a pair of leggings and a sports bra. She might as well work out then and an hour later she texted Orihime about grabbing lunch that day. She needed to talk to someone about this and she felt like she could only trust the redhead. 

***

The first recording session that morning was with Orihime, and it was amazing. Not only did they sound amazing, but the whole thing was so easy. Orihime was a pro, and showed Shuhei how close to stand to the mics and whose ass to kiss and whose ass to put pressure on. They recorded _Photograph_ before lunch. 

Shu was pleasantly surprised. Everyone, except a talent developer with an apparent stick up his ass, was very nice and encouraging. By the time they broke for lunch, Orihime hugged him in excitement and wished him well for the afternoon; he was going to be recording without her and then going to see an aesthetician about getting some of his tattoos removed.

Before he went to the cafeteria, he pulled his phone out and checked for messages from Rangiku. He had contemplated calling her, but he was far too giddy; he wouldn’t be able to convince her that it was due to baking cupcakes.

He was pleased to see the picture she had sent but was confused by the message. He put a hand to his mouth and rubbed his upper lip, smirking a bit at the scent of the blonde that seemed to be embedded in his skin these days, and considered sending her a return pic. It would have to be in front of something generic. There was only one option that came to mind.

  * Sorry about the location, but no phones at work. I wish I was with you instead of here. What is IG?



He sent a picture of himself with the steel wall of a bathroom stall in the background, giving the camera lens a stern eye and a smirky smile, then sent it with the message he had typed.

***

Orihime had decided to do some shopping after leaving Shuhei at the studio. She called Ulquiorra on the way to the car as she usually did; she still, nearly three years later, felt uncomfortable walking through the parking garage at Soul Society after being attacked by Aizen there. Before she opened the doors to go into the concrete structure, she dialed his number.

“Hello Orihime,” Ulquiorra sighed. He had been sitting in his car in the parking garage of Espada Records, contemplating calling his wife, but she had done the deed for him. “How do you feel about me becoming a househusband?”

The question took her by surprise. “Well you are great at keeping things clean and organized and you make a mean cup of coffee, so all in all I think it’d be a good deal for me. Why do you ask?” she replied with a hint of amusement. That sigh had given her something to worry about.

“I have to go on a festival tour or lose my band.” He sounded so defeated as he told her the news. “Gin’s punishing me and Grimmjow over the fight in the airport. I’m being scolded like a child for not taking Nanao with me to Oregon.”

“What? Why?” she was angry on his behalf. Not about him going on tour; she didn’t have an opinion on that yet, but the threat of losing his band was unforgivable in her eyes. “You are Obscuras IV, no matter what he says, Ulquiorra. I know it. You know it. Your fans know it. Who does he think he is?!”

He knew this was going to happen. He knew his wife would be ready with a battle axe to slay the big bad Gin. “He’s the guy who has my balls in a jar. I’m the one who signed the contract like an idiot.”

She sighed, pushing through the glass doors into the parking structure and walking towards where she parked her car. “I’m sorry, Ernie. That’s bullshit. I know you wanted some time off. Do you know the details yet?”

“I’m leaving on the ninth for my first gig. I’ll be back on the thirteenth. Also… Aaron and Ggio split so they’re going to put some temporary members in place,” he said, looking out the window. “We knew it was coming because of his drinking and Ggio has his head up Aaron’s ass. Things are changing, Woman, and I don’t like it.”

“I know, Babe.” She sighed. She wished she could be with him right now but he was across town, probably. “I’m sorry. I’m going to miss you. The ninth is in less than a week. Oh shit, Grimmjow’s going too, right?”

“He has to. He’s gonna miss the baby’s birth, probably. Gin said we were not to leave these engagements early. Grimm was bitching that Ivan is such a dumbass and probably doesn’t know what to do when the time comes. He’s been to every class that Hailey has had,” Ulquiorra answered. “He’s asking that I give him some creative leeway and not be so fucking uptight about things.”

Wow. That was a lot to unpack. She knew her husband. They had played one show together, and that was right when they first started going out, so he was still trying to charm her, and even _then_ he had been very particular about how and what to play or sing. Granted, she was equally, if not more, controlling about how things should be done, musically. But that was nothing compared to how anal retentive he had been when they co-wrote the song that won them a Grammy award last year. The song almost didn’t make it into the movie it was written for because he refused to let it go into someone else’s hands for the final polishing. For him to give up control of any part of the image of Obscuras IV would go against who he was as an artist. Ulquiorra Cifer was Obscuras IV. Obscuras IV was a stage name for a single human, not a band name, despite Espada Records trying to convince everyone otherwise. That is what both husband and wife felt, anyway. “Are you going to be able to do it?” Orihime finally asked. She was almost as anxious about him giving up control as he was.

Ulquiorra groaned and cracked his neck. That was a million dollar question, wasn’t it? “That’s why I asked if you’d be okay footing the bill and being the breadwinner. I’m going to have to relax my iron grip a bit. I don’t want to let Gin have my name. I don’t want him to put someone else at the front of OIV. I know I promised I would be there for the majority of the tour but… I can’t, Woman.”

“Oh, Ulquiorra,” she felt sorry for him. She knew he was not in a position to win on this one, and she knew he was going to beat himself up about not being able to live up to what he had promised her. But this was more than that. There was something on the line here that they were both willing to make sacrifices for. “I know that you love me. I know that if you could, you would march right into that Gin’s office and light a fart on fire. Okay, maybe you wouldn’t do that, but something to show that asshole what an idiot he is.” she sighed “I don’t want you to feel guilty about this. I know it’s not your choice. I still want you to come and visit me on the road when you can, though. Maybe some of our dates will coincide?” she offered, trying to plant some hope into the situation. “And I’ll do what I can to help Hailey out until I go on tour. The baby is due right before I’m scheduled to leave.”

“Can you do something for me? It doesn’t have to be today. It just has to be before I leave,” Ulquiorra said. He had been thinking about this for months.

“What is it?”

“Get me a meeting with Urahara or Kyoraku?” he offered. “How’s the boy doing? He still pissed off at me for saying what I said to Matsumoto?”

She unlocked her car and got inside. “I would be happy to get you a meeting. Urahara would pay you to come to his house and listen to him tell stories and talk business, you know that,” she said with a small giggle. “I’ll ask him this afternoon. As for Shuhei, I think he’s having fun. Maybe too much fun to care about what you said. I can’t be sure because of the tattoos, but when he rolled up this morning I’m pretty sure he had some fresh hickeys. He spent the night with her last night.”

“What? That’s the second… No… That’s the third night he’s spent with her. What the hell?” Ulquiorra asked absently. “She had hickeys on her neck the morning I found them. It looked like he mauled her. How come I can’t leave marks like that where everyone can see them?”

“Hey, nobody said you couldn’t. Nobody said you _didn’t,_ mister. I think Shuhei was scarred the morning after I came back home,” she chuckled. “And when did you get so up in his business to know how many nights he spent with her?” She giggled then. She liked imagining Ulquiorra as a closet gossip.

He rolled his eyes, glad that he was just talking to his wife over the phone and not in person. “Look, Shu is our friend, right? I’m just looking out for him. I mean once Matsumoto’s competition gets a hold of this little tidbit that she has a fuckbuddy, I’ll be happy.”

Her cheerful mood dropped. “Ulquiorra, please. If he’s your friend, don’t do that to him. If you hurt her, you’ll end up hurting him, too.” She sounded disappointed.

“Orihime, it’s just a booty call. I’m not going to hurt her in any way. Mila Rose and her little friends will do that. I’m just pointing her in the right direction. There’s no way I’d out Shuhei. Besides, he can just find someone else around this city. If he likes desperate chicks, I’m sure he can find one.”

“Ulquiorra M. Cifer!” Orihime spat, appalled. “How could you even consider doing something like that? You know two wrongs don’t make a right. You are going to hurt Shu if you do this. I’m telling you this now, and if you go through with it I’ll be telling you I told you so.”

That had to be a first. Ulquiorra felt doubly scolded when Orihime said his middle initial. “Do you know something I don’t know about Shuhei and _her_?”

Orihime took a slow breath. “All I know is that he likes her, and he was happier today than I’ve ever seen him before in the entire time I’ve known him. It wasn’t just about the music. He is acting like someone who is falling in love.” Her brows were starting the crease at a different thought. Mila Rose? Who the hell was that?

Gag, he thought. The idea of Shuhei falling in love with that blonde twit was laughable. “Fine, fine. I just wanted some justice meted out against her for sticking her nose in my business.”

“Do it in private. Please. Who is Mila Rose?”

“Remember when I was on tour the first time and those fake pics of Byakuya and you came out? Ran didn’t run a segment on them, which was weird, because when all of that drama was happening, Ran had her nose so far into our business I’m surprised she found her way out. This other YouTuber who goes by Mila Rose reached out to me. She has some history with Rangiku. Wanted to know if the photos were real. I didn’t tell you about this because of how I was feeling and shit. I just swept it all under the rug and forgot about it,” Ulquiorra explained. He took a deep breath, continuing, “Well after Ran gave me my award, I got another message from Mila. She asked if I knew Ran well and if I could help her. I told her I could try to catch Ran off guard and get her something.”

Orihime scoffed. This was not the Ulquiorra she knew. At least not the one she thought she knew. And why was this the first time he mentioned it? It was all very uncharacteristic. Like he was living a double life or something. “This is not cool, Ulquiorra.”

“You weren’t saying that a couple weeks ago when she was calling Shu our play thing. I’ve got nothing so far, so it’s not like I’m feeding Mila any info. I was just gonna tell her that Ran had a guy.” Ulquiorra blew out a breath. “I know it’s not cool, but Matsumoto makes me feel anger.”

“I make you feel anger. Gin makes you feel anger. Grimmjow and Ivan and Shu make you feel anger. Princess and the mailman and the guy who walks through the neighborhood in his socks and crocs make you angry. You aren’t planning secret revenge plots on all of us, are you? I think you need to talk to Soifon about this,” she said.

She wasn’t wrong, and Ulquiorra had to laugh although it wasn’t funny. “No, Orihime. And I’ve already begun to talk to Soifon about this. I’ve already recognized it as an issue. Are you done for today?”

“Yeah this is my parking garage call for today. I am going into town to pick up a few things. Where are you? Do you need anything?” she didn’t notice how seamlessly he changed the subject.

He had to think for a moment. “Uh, can you pick me up some ice cream or are you doing a different kind of shopping?”

“Different, but I can definitely get you something sweet. And some ice cream,” she said, laying on the flirtation thickly.

He had to take a deep breath or else he’d end up running every light to get to her. “Yay for more bad habits. Put it on my credit card, okay?”

She laughed. He still didn’t seem to get that they shared a pocket, but it was sweet. “Okay, thanks, _Daddy,_ ” she said as a joke.

“What? No, no, no. No. I just went from a semi-hard dick to lifeless. What do you mean, Daddy? No daddy.”

“It was a joke, dillhole,” Orihime laughed, hard. “You said put it on your credit card, so I… You know what, nevermind,” she said, snorting a bit as she laughed some more. His reaction was priceless.

Ulquiorra’s scowl deepened and he huffed. “You, my little Princess, can call me Master or Sir.”

“Oh I can, can I? Well thank you for that, too.” She was getting all kinds of ideas, now. Ones she was sure he wouldn’t appreciate. But what good was all the money they were making if they couldn’t amuse one another with it once in awhile?

“I love you, Veggs. I’ll see you in a bit. I’m gonna head inside and tell Gin and Grimmjow my decision.”

“Which decision did you make?” she wasn’t sure if he was going to agree to the tour or become her domestic god.

His mouth twisted to the side. “I’m gonna do the tour. I’m going to finish my contract and then I’m gonna see if I can milk Soul Society for more money because you deserve all the Bad Habits.”

That was the man she knew and loved. She hummed. “I love you too, _Sir._ ”

***

When the buzzer to Rangiku’s apartment buzzed she got really happy until she saw who it was. Shit. It was her team. Fuck. She had forgotten all about their meeting. “Uh, I’m sick.”

“You’re not sick, let us in,” Shinji said in bored tone, sticking his pierced tongue out at the camera.

She rolled her eyes and pressed the button on the intercom that would let them in. Rangiku had just taken off her makeup and was going to take a shower. There was no way she could cover up the hickeys and bites on her neck and shoulders. Her bed was a mess too and it smelled like someone had been fucking in there. She emptied out her wax warmer and dropped in another cube before straightening the sheets and blankets. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice. The knock came sooner than expected. Rangiku opened the door and five people looked at her with their mouths open. “What?” she said, walking into her living area and taking her appointed spot on her bed.

“Ran… your neck. What happened? Did you get attacked by something?” Rose asked. “Do you know how much concealer that’s going to take to cover up?

“It smells like a whorehouse in here,” Hiyori barked. 

“Ooooh! Rangiku’s been getting laid! Is it Gin? He seems like he’d be a boring fuck,” Lisa commented dryly. “Or is it the other guy?”

“Wait, Ran’s been getting fucked and she’s not told any of us?” Shinji said, looking put out.

“Okay… Just sit down and I’ll--”

Ding. She looked down at her phone and saw she had a message. Fuck, Shu had texted. She dismissed it and then looked back at her friends. The only one who hadn’t said a word was Akon, but he smirked. Rangiku rolled her eyes. “Sit down and let’s get this meeting underway. I have other obligations to--”

Ding.

Why did the world hate her today?

“Is it loverboy? Or is it lovergirl?”

“Nah, it smells like het sex up in here.”

“What does he look like?”

“Is he bald?”

“Is he good in bed?”

The questions and the attention were getting to be too much for her. “SIT DOWN! I SAID I WOULD EXPLAIN!” she yelled.

The five people standing around her bed found seats and they found them quickly. “If we have time, I will address your questions. We have a show to put on, so let’s focus on that first before...”

Her phone made another sound, indicating she had another message. She picked the device up and looked at it. Oh, Orihime had texted.

  * I’m out shopping in town for a bit, but I need to get home soonish. What’s up?



Well that was unfortunate. Rangiku looked at everyone gathered in her apartment. “Something came up and I’ve got to take care of it. Can we reschedule for later tonight or tomorrow?” Everyone agreed a late dinner at the local Italian place would be a good choice, and Rangiku said she would meet them there. They left and she then tapped on Orihime’s name. “Hey Orihime,” the blonde said after she answered the call.

“Hi, what’s up?” Orihime seemed perkier than usual.

“I can’t talk to anyone about this but...” Rangiku sighed.

“Shu?” Orihime filled in for her.

“Yes. I don’t know what is happening but-- He stayed last night and he took a shower here this morning,” Rangiku said.

Orihime chuckled. “No wonder he seemed so happy today,” she said, teasing the blonde.

Rangiku blushed. “I, uh, Orihime, I like him. He mentioned me to his mother. He said he was seeing someone. I don’t know what to do! Because he acts like this is just a thing and I’m going to lose interest. I don’t let people sleep over. I don’t do sleepovers.”

Orihime sighed. This was more than a one-conversation topic. Well, it had to start somewhere. She had meddled, as Ulquiorra pointed out. “I have a proposition for you, Ran.”

“Okay, I’m listening; what is it?”

“I think I know you… in a general sense. I’m talking about vibes and auras. Well, in this case mainly vibes. Do you know any discreet sex shops around here that you wouldn’t mind taking me to? In return, I’ll tell you everything I know about how Shuhei Hisagi thinks.”

Rangiku immediately perked up. Now that she was thinking about it… She knew how she could get a replica of Shu’s cock. “Absolutely. There’s a couple in Sherman Oaks. Plenty in North Hollywood. One in Melrose and there might be a place or two in Burbank. Why? What are you getting?”

“Oh, well I was planning on just getting a new nightie or two but then Ulquiorra had to open his big mouth and mention what seemed to be a facetious reference to light bondage and I want to show up and act like I’m ready to go. Can you imagine Mr. Serious? He would take one look in the bag and pee his pants,” Orihime cackled.

Could she imagine Mr. and Mrs. Serious getting it on? Yeah, until Orihime had to mention something about peeing pants. She shook her head and wrinkled her nose. “There’s a place called Trashy Lingerie that makes handmade lingerie and it’s in West Hollywood. It’s not La Perla or any fancy french silk but it gets the job done. If Shu were to rip something from them off me…” Rangiku realized what she was saying and turned red. Her face literally felt like it was on fire. “We can go there and pick some things out or I can take you to another shop that sells bondage stuff.”

“If they have it, we can go there. I really need the bondage stuff.” the words came out sounding much more serious than they sounded in her head.

“Well, Trashy has light bondage items. We could look around though. But I know this place called the Candy Shop and it looks seedy but they have awesome stuff,” Rangiku said. “I have to make myself decent and cover up my neck, but I can meet you somewhere.”

“Let’s go to this Trashy place. Text me the address and I’ll meet you there, okay?” 

The blonde hung up and texted Orihime the address which would put them in West Hollywood. She covered up the marks on her neck and did a quick coat of mascara to each eye and a nude lip color before she was pulling on a white romper. She had planned to wear it to Grimmjow’s birthday party, but since she didn’t go, she hadn’t had the chance to put it on. She then picked out a pair of white heels. The last thing she did before she left the apartment was check her image in the full length mirror and snap a photo for Shuhei, making sure she was showing a lot of leg. He’d probably appreciate how short this outfit was.

  * another dumb picture of me :) IG. Instagram. You’re missing out on a lot of me if you don’t have one.



*** 

Orihime had lent Isane to Shuhei for the day, since she was done working. As the white-haired assistant drove Shu to the aesthetician’s office, he checked his phone. Damn. Double damn. Why was he not with her at this moment?

  * Lady, you’re going to give me a boner in public. It’s a small price to pay, though ;) Can I just get Instagram on my phone? I remember Vega having it and using it instead of texting people. What else do you do on it?



He wasn’t in the position to send her another picture. There was no way he could explain why he was in the backseat of a car with Orihime’s assistant. 

But he didn’t have to show his face, did he?

He glanced down at his crotch. He hadn’t been kidding. That white romper was just begging to be torn off of Rangiku. The thought of his hands tearing the flimsy fabric caused his dick to twitch. 

He snapped a pic of the outline of his semi-hard member and sent it off.

***

Orihime was waiting in the parking lot of Trashy for about ten minutes before Rangiku arrived. She didn’t want to get out of her car and get spotted waiting around outside, so she sat there, imagining what kind of bad habits a place like this had.

Rangiku had pulled into the parking lot when she got Shu’s text. She looked at the photo he had sent and let out a squeak. Oh lord. She didn’t care if anyone was looking at her. She was too absorbed in what she was feeling and seeing at the moment. 

  * Yay! ;) Yes you can get it on your phone. Google it! I’m sure it’ll come up. What do I do on it? Well, I show people things I’ve bought, things I’m eating, I post my clothing hauls on there. I post a lot of selfies. I use the stories to show off some of the more risque things like bikinis and lingerie I have. But you can use it to text. 



She reread her message after she sent it and frowned. Shuhei knew where she lived. He knew what her apartment looked like. He would probably know that the photos she had claimed were “home” was not her home. Fuck. She killed the engine and stepped out, making sure she had her bag before locking the car. Maybe Orihime was already inside.

As soon as Rangiku got close to the entrance of the store, Orihime got out of her car. “Ran!” she whisper-shouted, ducking and covering her head with an unseasonable hoodie as she hustled over to the taller woman. “Hi!” she said as she reached her side.

Rangiku’s manicured brows furrowed as she took in the redhead. “What are you doing Orihime? It’s hot out here! Doing things like that make you a target. Own up to it and you can do anything you want,” the blonde said. She grabbed the smaller woman’s arm and pulled her towards the building and inside. She immediately heard her name being called.

“Ran!!!!”

Rangiku had known Hikaru for years, ever since she moved out here and started moving in the social circles that she had. Knowing Nanao had opened a lot of doors for her. “Hi!! Look at you! You’ve done your hair pink again!” she said giving the person a one arm hug and air kissed their cheeks. “You look amazing. Oh, before I forget, Orihime, this is Hikaru. This is Orihime Cifer or Vega Highwell. She’s here to add a little spice to her life.”

Orihime looked at Rangiku like she’d grown a third head. What the hell was she doing, name dropping her like that? And what the hell was she doing suggesting she own up to coming into a place like this. Before that topic got too far away from her, she whispered to the other woman, “Have you met my husband? That’s why I need to be discreet!” She then turned her attention toward the shopkeeper and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hikaru. This is an impressive place,” she said, not knowing what else to say and suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

The blonde turned towards Orihime with a serious look. “I know your husband. You are the sweetheart of the music world. No one would believe it’s you if they saw you come in or out of here. Besides, Hikaru is discreet. A lot of her business comes from celebrities who wouldn’t be caught dead in here because it’s not on Rodeo Drive. Sure we’ll walk into the nice places and buy the good stuff but that’s supporting a machine. All this stuff hanging here is made by hand, Orihime.” 

Well now she just looked like a snob, didn’t she? Orihime sighed and went to look around. 

Hikaru looked at Ran and raised an eyebrow. “Touchy?”

“Obscuras IV is her husband,” Rangiku replied in a low voice. “She wants something that is light bondage. Like I said she wants to add some spice. I, however, want to look around.”

“Mmhmm,” Hikaru replied, bringing a buffed fingernail to her chin. “Poor dear. He is just…” Hikaru shook her head back and forth and gulped, her adam’s apple bobbing up and down in an exaggerated way as she lowered her voice to a low baritone, in a tone to mock Ulquiorra, “too much. Much much too much.”

A laugh rang out as the blonde giggled. “You are such a delight. I’m going to see what Ms. Highwell is getting into.” She bid Hikaru tata and then went to find Orihime. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Orihime,” Rangiku said as she found the small woman.

Orihime rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly the kind of thing that pisses him off, Ran. He’s a very private person. He doesn’t want the world to know that I’m looking at stuff like this. He doesn’t want people to imagine me in stuff like this. He’s possessive,” Orihime explained, sounding tired. If Ulquiorra knew that Rangiku had told a total stranger that she wanted to “add some spice” to their love life, he’d go for Rangiku’s throat and then pout for a month that anyone had insinuated such a thing.

“Possessive isn’t healthy,” Rangiku said, softly. 

Orihime’s expression gentled and a smile that held some kind of mystery in it lit up her face, looking at Rangiku like she knew something that the blonde didn’t. “There is possessive, and then there is _possessive_. One is bad. The other is very, _very_ good.” The redhead’s shoulders shook a bit as she giggled silently and looked at something pretty and lacy, picking up a piece of the garment and watching the way the fabric fell.

So maybe Orihime wasn’t a naive young woman. Of course she wasn’t. She had dealt with Aizen, too. “So, Shu...” Rangiku trailed off not knowing what to ask or say about the man. She was afraid if she opened her mouth she’d spout nonsense about him being the one and how she wanted to throw her entire career away for him. As if Rangiku would give that up. “This one is pretty.”

Orihime twisted her lips to one side and looked up at Rangiku. “That’s not why we’re here. Ask. Well, lead the way to black and strappy and then ask as we walk,” Orihime said.

Since the store was laid out by color instead of styles, Rangiku took Orihime’s arm and led her over to the part of the building held the dark clothing. She fingered a lacey teddy thing with sequins sewn to it. After she helped Orihime out, she would have to come back here and give Trashy’s a good once over. It had been a bit since she had done a lingerie haul. “If you weren’t attached to Ulquiorra, would you have given him a chance?”

“I wasn’t attached to Ulquiorra and I didn’t give him a chance. I might have, one day, but…” her face colored and a heavy sigh escaped her. “I love Ulquiorra with all my heart and I couldn’t see any other man as a potential partner. Even if he left me again, I don’t think I’d be able to. Not for a very, very long time.”

“I don’t know if he likes me or he just likes what we’re doing. He’s… Shuhei is… I’ve never been around a guy like that,” Rangiku said. She blew out a breath. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Like what? Sweet? Considerate? Humble? A lot of men could learn a thing or two from him,” Orihime said and did that smile again.

The blonde knew it was now or never. If she couldn’t trust Orihime with this information she might as well call it quits on everything. “Orihime, I’d like to think we’re friends. Not best friends, because I don’t let people get that close, but I've never really had a relationship, not like you have. I mean there was a guy I was seeing for a couple of weeks, but I found out he had a wife. It was messy.” Rangiku shook her head as if to dispel the unpleasant memories. “I’ve never been around someone I want to be with… Shuhei… Ever since I met him at that barbeque, I’ve been thinking about him. I keep telling myself that I’m just doing my job or that this is nothing. I want it to be something. I don’t know what to do, though.”

She sighed. “I have an image to uphold. I have obligations to deal with. I don’t know how a baker from Ohio fits into my life, but I want to make room for him.”

The redhead looked at the blonde with a sharp gaze. “If you are not sure about him, don’t play around. He gets his heart broken easily. If you had heard him on the phone when he called me from the middle of nowhere, Iowa, you’d know just how delicate he is.“

“He doesn’t seem like that. He seems like this is just a thing for him. But, he told me he doesn’t pay for rooms in the middle of the night for people he’s not interested in,” Rangiku said. She decided to put it out there, flat out. “I want him.”

Orihime let out a slightly perverted chuckle. “I think you’ve got him, Ran. He fucked you in Ulquiorra’s studio. Do you know how much trouble he got into for that? I had to keep those two separated. He wouldn’t even consider doing something that crazy if he didn’t like you. Also…” she trailed off, not sure how much information to share about the other singer.

The blonde woman’s eyebrows rose slightly. Shuhei had gotten in trouble for that? She bit her lip and played with the leather tassel on her bag. “Your husband had some words for me when I showed up. He knew I was there for Shu. And also…? Is there something I should know? Does he have a wife? An ex-wife? Kids?”

Orihime shook her head and scoffed. “No. Nothing like that. Ulquiorra knew that I was talking you two up to each other before you met. My husband disapproves of me playing matchmaker, especially because he doesn’t trust either of you. Well, things are improving with Shuhei despite you two ruining his favorite sofa.” Orihime smiled and tried not to laugh. 

Rangiku’s face turned pink. “I’m only doing my job. Gin told me to generate some drama to get Ulquiorra trending. I knew it was wrong. I am so sorry for that, too.”

“Motherfucker!” Orihime cursed. “I wish that asshole would go play in traffic. He’s been terrible to everyone in OIV.” She exhaled heavily then found Rangiku’s eyes. “I know it’s a job for you, and I’ve talked to Ulq about it, but he takes things very personally.”

“Can I tell you something? No one can know this, Orihime.”


	18. Chapter 18

“Not even my husband?”

“No. I need a friend. Someone I can trust. I’m willing to trust you with the darkest secret that I have,” Rangiku said. Her voice sounded urgent.

Normally Orihime would refuse and insist on transparency, but something about Rangiku’s tone gave her pause and made her recall the room at Tier Hallibel’s house years ago, when young women spilled terrible, heartbreaking secrets that she still kept from her husband. “I understand,” she replied seriously.

“I’ve told you vague details about what happened with Aizen, so I trust you. The only other person I’ve told about that is Gin and well... Gin… He’s my sugar daddy. He gives me information on the Espada Records artists and I do my research,” Rangiku looked down at her shoes with a frown on her face. “I’m not proud of this.”

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit._ This was not information Orihime wanted to know. She didn’t want her husband knowing, and it was something she was probably eventually going to have to tell him. She couldn’t stop her opinion of the woman in front of her from shifting less favorably. She didn’t want to say what she had to say. “You should probably cut Shuhei loose. If he finds out, he’ll be hurt.”

Oh. Rangiku had to push down the panic that began to rise in her chest. “Gin told me about the fight Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had. He told me what it was about. He said I was to report the end of OIV. I didn’t do that,” the blonde said. She gave the redhead a small smile. She had to put her mask back in place. She brought her phone up and looked at the screen. She had to get out of there. “You’re probably right, though. If you need anything Hikaru will help you. I’ve got to go, obligations and all that.” 

Orihime’s hand darted out and caught the other woman by the elbow. “If you know what’s good for you, cut Gin loose first. You might be happier.” Her face was fiercely earnest as she let Rangiku go.

Rangiku gave the woman a nod of her head before she hurried out of the store. Fuck lingerie. Fuck shopping. She had tried to reach out to someone and Orihime had looked down on her and judged her. What did the redhead know, telling her to leave someone who paid her way in life and to leave Shuhei alone? She was with some asshole who was borderline abusive. No, bitch, all possessiveness was bad.

As Rangiku got to her car, she unlocked it and practically dove into the driverseat. She put her sunglasses on her face before she pulled out into traffic. She had to hide her eyes from people. It was a stupid idea to think that anyone would even understand what her world was like.

***

Orihime took her time browsing the racks at Trashy and thinking about what the other woman told her. She’d been an idiot. She never should have introduced Shuhei to Rangiku.

She wasn’t even angry at Rangiku. This was her own fault. She had been doing this with good intentions, but she basically sent downtrodden, underdog Shuhei into a den of snakes by trying to pair up the two. How was she to know that _It’sRan!_ was basically just a hobby and that Rangiku Matsumoto made her bank working as a paid escort?

Shit. Ulquiorra had been right.

She didn’t know what to do. She saw that Shuhei was falling hard and fast for Rangiku. It looked almost exactly like it had when the man had fallen for her back in Ohio. The difference was that Rangiku was giving him hope and getting him hooked on her. 

Dammit. 

There was only one thing Orihime could think of that might save Shuhei, and she was sure he was not going to like it much. She’d just have to keep him as busy as she could and maybe his attachment to Rangiku Matsumoto would wane on its own. Hopefully she wasn’t too late.

***

“I can’t make it,” Rangiku gasped into the phone. She had barely gotten to her apartment before the panic hit her, making it hard for her to breathe. There was grumbling on the other end of the line and she heard Shinji bitching. “Because, I can’t. I don’t feel good. I told you this earlier.”

More bitching.

“Shin--Shinji…Please.” Rangiku was almost folded in half sitting on her bed. She kept pulling the phone away from her face to try to inhale. “I know I’ve been a little absent for the last couple of weeks. Please. I need… I need a break. I’ve been doing this for a while and I… No! I don’t have anyone. It was a booty call. I’m going to call Robert Accutrone. Gin said that he was willing to take me on and become my manager and broker deals for me.”

The blond man could bitch when he wanted to, but finally he hung up and Rangiku took another shower. She stood there for a while, sobbing. Cut Shuhei loose. How was she supposed to do that when she had taken no steps to stop herself from having feelings for him? 

Rangiku couldn’t go to anyone and pour her heart out about this. Her parents thought she was a successful business woman, making a moderate living in Los Angeles. She didn’t have any close friends. She couldn’t talk to Nanao. She definitely learned her lesson with telling Gin anything. 

It was her own fault.

She had made it clear to everyone that she was an island and no one was welcome to invade her space. Except Rangiku _had_ made an exception. She had let Shuhei Hisagi in. 

After her shower, she put on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy hoodie, throwing her hair up into a bun. Her eyes were red and puffy; she kept sniffling. Opening her camera, she took a selfie and studied the miserable looking woman on the screen. There was no way that was her. 

Rangiku Matsumoto didn’t cry.

Fuck.

*** 

It took Shuhei a few seconds in the waiting room of the aesthetician’s office to download and install the app. It took another couple minutes to make an account and pick out a profile picture and then track down Rangiku’s account.

Wow.

He had mixed feelings about what he saw there. She wasn’t kidding about some of the more risque pictures. He bit the inside of his cheek, warring with his inner feelings. He had just told her that he was okay with her seeing other people. And, in truth, he was. He knew that he was still just a nobody. But the more time that passed, and the more of it he spent in her bed and in thoughts of her, the less he was willing to accept the status quo. 

Looking at these pictures of her splashed on this app and the seductive eyes she was sharing with whoever followed her - and a _lot_ of people did - made him feel like those same looks that she had given to him were cheap and meaningless. That he was cheap and meaningless.

Still, she wasn’t fucking all those people. She wasn’t kissing them or waking up with them. He had to be important to a degree.

He followed her on IG. Then he sent her a text.

  * Wow. Followed you on IG. You’re popular. And hot. Miss you. <3.



***

Ulquiorra looked at his wife as she came in the door. The redhead looked troubled. He sighed before setting the Playstation4 controller down on the coffee table and stood. He knew that she occasionally had flashbacks of what happened in the parking garage. Ulquiorra knew she didn’t like being in the structure and called him whenever she had to walk through it. Had she had one of those episodes today? “Woman?”

Her head came up, her eyes met his, and the better part of the difficult feelings she was holding onto fell into the background. The look on his face made her heart melt; he looked so concerned. “Hi Ernie,” she came over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. She knew she was safe here.

“Hello. Are you okay? Did you have another flashback?”

“No. It wasn’t that. I talked to Rangiku today. You were right. I shouldn’t meddle.” She sighed and squeezed him, and some of the guilt she was feeling became a bit less intense

He hugged her tighter. Hearing her say that wasn’t a comfort. “You think that now?” he asked. Orihime obviously hadn’t see _ItsRan!’_ s newest post on the popular photo sharing site. “You might want to look at Instagram, Veggs.”

The tone of his voice was ominous. “Oh no, what did I do?” she asked as she took a step back, her face starting to crumple. She took out her phone and saw two sets of pictures. One with Rangiku appearing naked. One with the blonde woman wearing a cute, _short_ , white romper. The first were tagged _#missingyou_ _#latenights._ The second set were tagged _#feelingfine #movingforward_. Orihime’s pained expression turned a bit darker.

“Either she’s lying, which I hope is true, or she is a heartless bitch,” the woman hissed. She lifted her face and looked toward the first floor bedrooms. “Poor Shuhei…”

“Oh no it gets better,” Ulquiorra said. He tapped on Rangiku’s profile picture which brought up those annoying Instastories. The screen showed a video of a gray cat. 

“Hey guys, it’s me Rangiku. I’m letting you guys know I’m going to be taking a bit of a hiatus. I’m sick and need to rest. Bye bye!”

When the screen went back to the regular screen, Ulquiorra looked at Orihime. “Did you hear her voice?” He sounded pleased.

Orihime’s body dropped onto the couch cushions, her hand letting go of her phone to bounce somewhere off to the side and lying with its pair, slack on her lap. Orihime glared up at Ulquiorra. “This isn’t something to be happy about. This is my fault.”

“How is this your fault? She sounded upset. She’s sick. Why do you think she’s lying or is a heartless bitch? Why poor Shu?” Ulquiorra asked. He sat down beside his wife and looked at her. “You knew what you were doing when you meddled. I know you wanted to help Shuhei get laid or whatever, but you should have pushed him towards Isane.”

Orihime groaned and laid down on her side with her head on her husband’s lap, looking out toward the dogs across the room. “I didn’t know then what I know now. And I know Ran’s not sick; I went shopping with her today. Oh shit, I forgot your ice cream, I’m sorry.” She sighed. She just kept striking out today. “Anyway, she told me more about her love life and I don’t think that Shu can handle the kind of relationship she would be willing to offer him. I thought it would be better for her to cut Shu loose, so that’s what I told her. She wasn’t happy about it. In fact, she cut things short and ran away.”

Fuck the ice cream. This was better than ice cream to Ulquiorra. “Okay so you’ve established that Matsumoto has a love life? Why can’t Shu handle it? Is she a whore? Is she a porn star that we don’t know about? Wait,” Ulquiorra paused for a moment. “You upset Rangiku?”

“A lot. And you don’t have to sound so happy about it,” she said in a perturbed tone. “Clearly I’m not happy about this.”

Ulquiorra dropped his face into it’s trademark blank look and started talking in that monotone voice that he used on everyone who wasn’t Orihime. “You need to tell me everything, because none of this is making a lot of sense. You told her to cut Shu loose and she got upset? Why? What is her love life like? Does she love them and then leave them?”

Orihime scoffed and sat up. She shouldn’t have told him anything. She was only feeding his unhealthy obsession with taking down Matsumoto. “You forgot your hypnotism charm, Ulquiorra,” she said sarcastically, walking toward the kitchen to get some water.

“Are you calling me a vampire?” he asked, turning to watch her walk away from him.

“I didn’t know vampires hypnotized people. I was never much into vamps.” Good. Maybe they could change the subject. “But speaking of dark, mysterious, wicked beings, I went to a new shop today and picked up some interesting objects.”

He was going to steer the subject back to Rangiku but if his wife went to a new shop, then she had to have gotten something good. He’d badger her about the gossip vlogger at a different time. “Yeah? Wanna show _Master_ what you got?” he said with a smile.

Orihime rolled her eyes. It would be more fun to throw him off and then surprise him. “Nothing like that, you perv,” she said with false annoyance. “How about you let the dogs out and meet me downstairs in a few minutes? I’ll give you a fashion show.”

Ulquiorra didn’t need to be told twice as he leapt off the couch. He walked over to where Adonis lay and picked him up. “Donnie, tell Mommy that Daddy is not a perv,” he said to the dog as he carried the corgi over to the door. “PRINNY! KING! OUTSIDE!”

“Donnie, sweetpea, please tell _Daddy_ that he is too.” Orihime said with a smirk as she picked up her shopping bags and went to the stairs.

A minute later, Orihime stood in front of the ensuite bathroom’s full length mirror and looked herself over. This was scandalous. She was giving herself a mental talking to. She could agonize over ruining her friends’ lives later. Maybe taking a mental break would give her better perspective, anyway. And from her perspective, things were about to get a lot more interesting in the next room. She was wearing an entirely new kind of bad habit. There were black leather straps criss-crossing her torso that connected to a mesh bra and black leather panties with a zipper that went down the crotch and around her ass. Those same leather straps draped over the sides of her hips to connect to a pair of thigh-high fishnet stockings and went up her back, where they connected to a thick black leather collar with a ring in the middle. She even bought a little black leather leash with white sequin details. This was indeed scandalous. She played with her hair a bit in the mirror, looking at this get up with hair up or down, and eventually decided on a high ponytail. A little extra eyeliner and she was ready. “You here yet?” she called through the door.

Ulquiorra had just gotten into the bedroom. He had been upstairs and looking through Orihime’s text messages. There was nothing in there that would cause anyone to be upset. “Yeah, you forgot your phone upstairs,” he said. Flopping down on the nicely made bed, Ulquiorra reached across to put Orihime’s phone on her bedside table. “Sir is ready for his Princess.”

“You’re setting yourself up for disappointment!” she yelled through the door and laughed. She took her time getting over to the door, making sure that her parts were all in the right spot one more time, trying to decide whether to snap the leash onto the collar right away or not, and eventually deciding to fold it up into one hand to make it look a little like a whip, before opening the door and saying, “Sorry to make you wait, Sir.”

Oh fuck. Ulquiorra’s eyes went wide at what his wife was wearing. She looked like some kind of dominatrix. “Is that...Oh fuck no. You’re not beating me,” he said as he sat up and scooted towards the headboard. “The next thing you’ll want to do is tie me up.”

Orihime tilted her head to the side and tapped her cheek lightly with the leash, looking up at the ceiling with an innocent expression. “These are not bad ideas.” She let the thought hang in the air and watched him squirm in her peripheral vision. This was worth the crap he was trying to pull upstairs. Finally she looked back down at him and let the end of the leash drop. She walked over to his side of the bed and picked up the end with the hand loop and held her hands out, one end of the leash in each hand, then knelt beside the bed. “I’ve brought you your mystery item, _Master,_ ” she purred. She could barely keep a straight face, fighting giggles, but she held it together. She had no idea what to expect from him, but she was sure that no matter the reaction, it would be worth it.

He had been ready to run from the room, but when Orihime said those words, one eyebrow rose. “What is this, Woman? I’m not putting a leash or collar on you,” Ulquiorra said as he got to the edge of the bed and looked at her. He had to admit the outfit was fucking hot, though. It showed enough of her body to keep him interested. Of course, Ulquiorra already knew what that black material was hiding from him. Then he saw it. Oh… It already had a collar and a ring on it. His eyes were filled with desire.

His reaction had not been what she was expecting, based on his language on the phone earlier, but she was satisfied that she had one-upped him. She put her hands on the side and the bed and pushed herself back up to standing with a chuckle. “I did not expect that you would, but you kept talking so big.” She stood there, looking down at him with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face.

“But,” he said, hooking his finger in the metal loop that was embedded in the collar. “Daddy can make an exception once in a while, can’t he?” Ulquiorra blushed slightly as he reached down and took the leash from Orihime. He kissed her, pressing his lips against her mouth, quickly moving to her neck, sucking on the skin. He bit her earlobe before he moved the hand that was wrapped around the ring. “Hnnngh, Woman. This is fucking hot.”

“Wow, if I knew I would get this kind of reaction I’d have tried something like this sooner,” Orihime purred, her body recoiling a bit from the bite on her ear. The fact that his mild restraint didn’t allow her this freedom did not escape her notice and made her belly do a flip flop. Things seemed like they were about to get interesting.

_Click._ Ulquiorra secured the leash to the outfit, running his hand down the almost delicate chain. He had been to sex shops with Ivan while having a boys’ day out. It was an idea from Grimmjow and Ivan just went along with it. While the two were talking about lube and other things that made Ulquiorra want to run away and curl into a ball, he had seen the “fantasy” outfits on mannequins. He thought he would never see Orihime in something like this. 

Ulquiorra was a guy who wasn’t really into kinky stuff. He and Orihime made love, fucked rough, and performed oral sex on each other. He had a lingerie thing. He really liked seeing his woman in the stuff and didn’t mind when she brought designer brand shopping bags home and showed him what was in them. Well, if she had ideas, he had ideas too. “You gonna be a good girl? Do you want me to slide my fingers inside you and make you come?” 

Well then, this was new. This was hot. He did not often talk dirty, and when he did it was in the heat of the moment. Now he seemed cool, collected, and scheming. A shiver ran up her spine and Orihime’s core thumped. A small pout and a nod with puppy-dog eyes answered him.

Nope, she had to answer him. Ulquiorra pulled on the chain gently before sliding his other hand down the front of the teddy she wore, his fingers trying to worm their way under the straps. There was very little give with the leather. “Tell me. I want to hear it, Vega.”

“I want it,” she said in a soft, almost petulant voice. “Please.”

Fuck. That was a nice touch. Ulquiorra pulled on the chain again, before his fingers found the second metal hook attached to the zipper. “Does this unzip or is it just for decoration?”

“It unzips,” she murmured. “From here to here,” she added, twisting her hips to show him the back.

Ulquiorra pulled it down, hearing the satisfying sound of the metal teeth of the zipper coming apart. He made sure that he didn’t stop until he couldn’t separate the leather any further. “Spread your legs, Orihime.”

Fuck. Being ordered around should not be so arousing. Usually Orihime bristled at being told what to do. But this— The pulse of her blood flowing into her pelvis thrummed strongly at his demand and she stepped her feet out to the sides. “Like this, Master?” her question was shaky and whispered.

“Mmmhmm,” he said, as he caressed the soft, silky skin he found there. “God, Orihime, I just want to bury my face and cock in you. I want you to come on me. I’m so glad that I made you mine.” Ulquiorra looked at her before he got to his knees, his fingers still exploring her slit.

She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. He was barely fingering her and she was already starting to feel her vision darkening and her heart thud quickly in her chest. “My body exists for your pleasure,” she breathed, struggling to find her voice. “I belong to you.”

He stared at her before he pushed two fingers inside of Orihime’s core. She was wet. That was a good thing. He wasn’t planning on being gentle with this. He bent his fingers slightly as he began to move his hand. “I love you, Vega.”

Her head tilted back and her lips parted as her breathing began to labor. “I love you, Ulquiorra,” she whined. 

Glancing from her face to between her legs, Ulquiorra felt his cock get hard. He let go of the leash and reached down to unbutton and unzip his jeans. As soon as he wrapped his hand around his dick, Ulquiorra moaned and then started stroking the length. Fuck this was hard to do with clothes on. “Tell you what, Orihime. I’m going to get you off and then you’re gonna ride me,” he said, removing his hand from his pants and letting it rest on her calf. “These leggings? Stockings? Whatever they are; they’re a nice touch.”

A short laugh pressed past her lips in response to the compliment. “Thank you,” she said in a coarse whisper. “I’ll ride you all the way back to Ohio if you like.” Her inner thighs were starting to tremble.

That made Ulquiorra bite his lip and smile before laughing. “Don’t have to go that far. Just seven inches will do.”

“ _Just_ seven? You talk like that’s an easy thing to take on,” she said as she started panting. Her release was imminent.

“Are you going to come for me, Princess? You know how much I love it when you do. It’s so hot and you get so tight,” Ulquiorra murmured to her. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her face. Not when she looked so gorgeous with her mouth slightly open and her cheeks flushed.

“I-- I-- Ah,” she choked on the last syllable as her body tightened around his fingers and her legs shook. She seemed to gasp and hold her breath as she rode out her orgasm, crying out as each new wave of pleasure washed over her and that band of tension in her passage tried to swallow Ulquiorra’s fingers. By the time she started to come down from that high, she had to grasp her husband’s shoulders in order to stay upright; her legs felt like jelly.

It took her several moments to stop spasming and Ulquiorra remained where he was, supporting her. He carefully stood and scooped Orihime up into his arms and placed her on the bed before removing the leash from her neck. “I love you so much, Woman. I’m going to fuck you into this mattress now, if it’s okay with you.”

Orihime could only bite her lip and nod. _If it’s okay_. Jesus Christ, she was so in love with him that she couldn’t stand it. “I love you, Ulquiorra. I love you so fucking much,” she said, trying not to let post-orgasmic emotion overwhelm her. She spread her legs for him and ran her palms down her thighs from her ass to her knees as she pulled them up to her shoulders. “It’s yours.”

It didn’t take long for Ulquiorra to slip inside of her, moving hard against Orihime. The snap of his hips against her could be heard and her cries just added to the experience of being with his wife. After he came, Ulquiorra lay on top of Orihime, listening to her heartbeat and trying to breathe. “Where did you get this thing?” he asked.

She ran her fingers through his hair and tried to breathe without crying. She always did this when she felt vulnerable and raw after they made love, even when it was wild and passionate like today instead of tender or whatever. She reached her lips down to kiss the crown of his head and then let her head fall back onto the pillow. “A place in North Hollywood called Trashy Lingerie.” She laughed silently at the name, but he could feel the belly spasms.

“I like it. Keep going there,” he commented before rolling off of her and laying beside Orihime. “Maybe next time I can call you Mistress.”

She chuckled. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, Babe. I liked you bossing me around today, though. I mean, don’t make it a habit, but maybe break it out for special occasions? You know, Christmas. Birthdays. Tuesdays.”

“Well since today isn’t over, go make me a sandwich,” Ulquiorra joked with a smile on his face. He threw an arm over Orihime’s waist so that she couldn’t move and kissed her shoulder. “Did you do okay with the parking garage today?”

Her breath stopped for just a second. It was long enough for him to notice. “It was alright; I was on the phone with you the whole time. You know how it is, though.” She took a deep breath. “You’d think I’d be over it by now.”

“Orihime, in terms of time, it wasn’t that long ago. I wish Urahara would give you a special spot outside of the garage. Or I don’t know… We have a recording studio in our home you could use that instead of dragging you to the office.” Ulquiorra sighed.

Orihime took a hand and caressed the side of his face with it. Hearing him talk about her like that made her heart soar. He didn’t always express how he felt about her in words that clearly demonstrated those feelings at work in daily life. He just wanted to protect her, and it made her love him more. “You know, it’s more convenient in the parking garage; it’s closer to the building entrance. And our studio is great, but not when we need session players or a real piano. It’s nice to go in, do a couple of takes, and be done with it. Shu and I got one song done today, and I was only there until I called you around noon.”

“Did you get the chance to talk Kisuke?”

“Oh!” Her eyes widened and she turned to look him in the eye. “I can’t believe I almost forgot. Are you busy tomorrow afternoon?”

“No. Why?” he asked looking at her. “Don’t tell me he wants to meet with me that soon.”

“Yeah he does,” she said with a proud smile. “You are motherfucking Obscuras IV. You open doors on reputation alone.”

Ulquiorra scoffed. “Being infamous isn’t a good thing, Woman. I’m tired of being a house divided.”

“Oh, come now. I remember a young Master Cifer telling me that Shakes was nothing but “dick jokes and twaddle”. Now you’re going to quote Romeo and Juliet? Is that the one? I forget,” she said, giggling.

A smile graced his mouth and he kissed her shoulder again. “You’re a dork.”

“I’m _your_ dork.”

He couldn’t refute that.


	19. Chapter 19

Shuhei got home later that night to see the Cifers cuddled up under a blanket in the living room watching something frivolous on television. The sight made him smile. He shook his head when the realization came to him that just a week or so ago it would have made him feel bitter and wistful. “Hey guys, have a nice afternoon?” he asked, coming over to the armchair next to the couch and standing behind it, looking at the couple with a relaxed, fond expression.

“Yeah,” Ulquiorra said. He glanced at Shuhei before turning his attention back to the show Orihime had picked. He was still trying to figure out how to get the redhead to tell him about her conversation with Matsumoto. He knew if he brought it up right now, it would cause a huge fight. “How about you? How’s lover girl?”

He smiled and ducked his head with a slight blush. “Uh, good.” he said with a chuckle. “I was just going to go call her but wanted to check in with  _ Mom _ and  _ Dad _ first,” he teased.

Orihime smiled at him with her eyes closed. She couldn’t bear to look at him right now, and after a moment she put her head back on Ulquiorra’s shoulder and let him deal with this. She didn’t notice the bandages on his face and neck.

“What happened?” Ulquiorra asked. He knew he shouldn’t have brought up Rangiku. He was surprised that Orihime wasn’t giving him the business about her.

“What do you mean?” Shu asked, then followed Ulquiorra’s eyes and realized he was looking at his bandages. “Oh, I went to an aesthetician’s office today. Soul Society thinks my image doesn’t really match my sound. I agree,” he said. I had my first laser treatment done today to remove these tattoos.”

Ulquiorra’s eyebrows shot up. He knew how much work and pain went into getting inked. He had six tattoos himself. He thought about the last tattoo he got and smiled at the memory of Orihime shrieking when he revealed the Hufflepuff crest on his inner arm. “Dude. That’s why you don’t put ink on your face,” Ulquiorra stated, giving Shu a stern look.

“Lesson learned. I was young, dumb, and losing braincells just by being in Pesche’s proximity.”

His head slowly shook back and forth. Ulquiorra felt the same way being around Nel, but he didn’t say anything out of respect for Orihime. “Go call… Go to your room,” he said with a laugh. “Mom and Dad are gonna get busy.”

Shuhei barked out a laugh and added, “Ew! Grody!” before he shuffled along to his room, chuckling.

Once he was out of earshot, Orihime sighed deeply and burrowed herself closer to Ulquiorra. That guilty feeling from earlier was back.

“You gonna go talk to him or you are you going to let him make that phone call?” Ulquiorra asked, his voice a whisper. He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of Orihime’s head.

“What would you want me to do if you were him? I feel like she should tell him herself if she’s dumping him.”

“Don’t ask me that. I’m heavily biased in this situation. All I want is to see Ran go down in flames,” Ulquiorra said.

“I really wish you would let that go. It’s unhealthy,” she replied.

***

Shuhei got into his room and looked at his phone. It was already ten in the evening. Soul Society was working him hard. He was surprised to see no response from Rangiku, but not overly concerned. He shucked his clothes off, careful to not snag his bandages, and then got comfortable on his bed before calling the blonde.

Rangiku looked at her phone and the number that popped up on it. Fresh tears came to her eyes and she sniffled. She should have blocked his number. She should have ignored him completely. She didn’t want to do that though.

“Hello?” she said, in a small shaky voice. Rangiku had to sniffle and dab at her nose several times before she could take a breath without it stuttering. 

Shuhei was instantly alarmed and sat up straight. “Rangiku, is everything alright? Do you need me to come over?”

“No,” she stated. Rangiku didn’t need him. She didn’t need anyone. “I’m fine. It’s probably getting close to my period and I’m being a stupid, messy ball of emotions.”

“Still…” he said, his voice gentled after she assured him she was alright. “I don’t want you feeling bad and alone. I would sacrifice some sleep for you, Ran.”

A rude and unladylike snort left the blonde before she let out a sharp laugh. He didn’t want her feeling bad and alone? It was too late for that. His redheaded keeper had already done  _ that _ . “You said you would be busy until the weekend. You have to work.”

He felt that cold laugh as a knife in his chest. Why was she pushing him away? If she… Oh. Oh. That’s right. He exhaled heavily, and when he spoke next, his voice was low and thick. “Yeah, I guess I do. I’ll let you go, Ran.” He almost hung up then, but his mom’s face giving him a stern glare made him add, “Goodnight.”

He had been a fucking idiot. Of course she didn’t want him to come over. She didn’t need him for anything except a booty call. He was fucking nobody and she was Rangiku Matsumoto. Fuck. He had played himself.

He stood up and paced the room, growing more and more agitated. After a few moments he stopped and threw his phone across the room. The device collided with the blinds on the window on the other side of the room and clattered down onto the desk below. “Fuck!” he growled out a restrained shout. He put on some basketball shorts and a shirt, sock and shoes and started stalking out of the house.

As he passed Ulquiorra and Orihime still sitting in the living room, he glanced at them and ground out, “I’m going for a walk.”

The dogs began to go nuts.

“King, Prin, Donnie!” Orihime called. This was not the time.

Ulquiorra had to get up to corral the dogs into their room, practically having to push and drag Princess into the second living room. He shut the doors to give Orihime and Shuhei some privacy. His wife had created this mess. She was going to have to deal with it.

“Shuhei, do you want to--” Orihime started, standing up.

“No. I just need to… Just leave me alone.” Shuhei was slamming the door of the house before she could even respond.

***

Shuhei went to the studio the day after he realized he had been the world’s biggest tool. He recorded another song with Orihime in the morning and another solo one after she left. He was noticeably less excited about it all than he had been the day before. While he was recording for his own album later in the afternoon, an unfamiliar face entered the soundbooth.

“Hold on a minute, Mr. Hisagi,” Hanataro said from behind the board as a tall, disinterested dark-haired man bent down to speak with him. A moment later, Hanataro’s voice came back over the speakers, “Byakuya Kuchiki would like to meet you. He’ll come around.”

A moment later the older man came into the recording studio and stuck a nearly limp hand out to Shuhei. “A pleasure,” was all he said to him before looking at him condescendingly and asking, “Already burning out? Where is the energy I heard about yesterday?”

Shuhei blinked. Were people talking about him? Why would anyone do that? He was just a no-name guy trying to fool himself that anybody would want to listen to him sing. “I--”

“Mr. Urahara has high expectations from you, Shuhei. Your friend, Vega Highwell, spoke very highly of you as well. Do not make fools of them,” was all the man said before leaving.

What an asshole! Usually words like what Byakuya spouted off would make Shuhei feel inferior, but for some reason this guy crawled right under his skin. Fuck that guy. Fuck Rangiku Matsumoto. He would show them that he was somebody. He could sing. He could play guitar. He’d been practicing piano since living with the Cifers and he had been picking up on it quickly. He’d go on this tour with Orihime and his new, non-tattooed face and make sweet sweet love to everyone’s ears and then these dumb office monkeys and thirsty vloggers would be sorry they ever treated him like someone who was disposable!

He told Hanataro that he was going to take a five minute break. He went to a small empty conference room and made a call.

“Hello?” Orihime’s voice answered, a bit worried. She had just left him an hour ago and was on her way with Ulquiorra to his appointment with Urahara.

“Hey Orihime. I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I nearly blew it this morning and it’s completely stupid. I was being a bitch baby. I’m not anymore. I just wanted you to know. Also, I’m ready to practice whenever. I really want this album to be amazing and our bonus tracks to sound perfect and this tour to be awesome,” he said quickly and all in one breath. His words to her were more of a mantra to himself than a declaration to her if he was being honest with himself.

“Oh. Well, it’s good to hear that, Shu. What brought this on?” she asked, looking over at Ulquiorra with a surprised expression.

“Nothing in particular. I just realized that I want to prove everyone wrong about me. I want people to think I’m somebody.”

“You are somebody, Shu. You’re somebody important to us. But I hope you do kick ass and rub it in the faces of anybody who has ever given you shit.”

“Thanks Veggs,” he said and hung up.

***

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra as they sat in traffic with an expression of shock. She was speechless.

“What?” he asked tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He hated driving around Beverly Hills.

“Apparently he’s over it. He’s ready to kick ass and take names and he wants to work as much as possible and have the tour be perfect,” she repeated.

Ulquiorra turned his head to look at Orihime. Then he shook his head. “He’s not over it. Believe me, I’ve been broken up with several times. He wants to prove people wrong. He wants to impress Matsumoto.” 

Orihime scoffed. “Who ever broke up with you? I certainly didn’t,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and her legs at the knees.

“I could recount the week after Thanksgiving of 2019 but I won’t. Or December of that same year. Vega, he’s not over it.”

“Fine, I’ll own up to Thanksgiving but December was all you. And I know he’s not over it. He just has a better attitude.”

The green-eyed man laughed. “Better attitude? The guy was sucking lemons this morning. I swear to God. I could have pissed in his cereal and made his day better. You just have to look around his eyes and see he’s not happy. Don’t you remember what it was like? Didn’t you put on a front so people wouldn’t be worried?”

“Well… Kinda. I tried. I was not very convincing. But that’s neither here nor there. I was in love with you. I don’t think Shu was in love with Rangiku. They barely know each other. He’ll be over it sooner than later, I hope.”

To be honest, Ulquiorra felt bad for the guy. He felt bad for pushing Shuhei towards the vlogger. It was done for the wrong reasons… Reasons that Ulquiorra couldn’t fucking pursue anymore because Orihime had to stir the shit pot. “We barely knew each other. I barely knew you,” he said quietly, focusing back on the road and the cars. “I still became infatuated with you.”

“Lies. Obs and Veggs knew each other for years. We were together physically for a month before we broke up. This  _ is  _ different.” She sighed. She was arguing semantics to make herself feel better. “You’re right though, he’s hurting. I can tell.”

He thought she was twisting events to dismiss the blame. Ulquiorra let her have it though. He didn’t want to fight about this. It was petty and trivial. “You know, you told me if I exposed Rangiku I’d hurt Shu. You did exactly that but you won’t give me any information about it. All I want to know is what did Matsumoto tell you that made you want to warn her off him?”

Orihime had thought about what to tell him, knowing he wouldn’t stop pursuing the subject. Despite her having strong objections to Ran’s life choices, it wasn’t her life and Ran had broken it off with Shuhei, so she didn’t need to worry about protecting him anymore. Bearing that in mind, she decided that a watered-down version of the truth was best. “You know she is seeing Gin Ichimaru. She told me she hasn’t broken it off with him and has no plans on doing so. I told her that it would eventually hurt Shuhei if she didn’t and that she should choose now and cut one of them loose. I guess she chose to stay with Gin.”

Ulquiorra couldn’t help but laugh. “Seeing Gin? Well someone should tell Gin this, because he fucks a different person in our building every day. I’ve only seen him with Ran at events and a couple times at his mansion. He’s not someone to keep a woman, Orihime. If they are seeing each other, that’s a fucked up relationship.”

“I agree with you. The more I know about her, the more it makes sense. She’s pretty fucked up if she isn’t willing to give Shu a real chance.” She closed her eyes after she said it. Pot, meet kettle.

He gave her a judgy side-eyed glance. “Maybe Matsumoto has the same issues Shu has. He thinks he’s a nobody and a loser. Maybe she has issues like that. Maybe she has issues stemming from her childhood. I’m not defending her, but I know a guy who is pretty fucked up and his partner gave him a chance.”

“Yeah, well Matsumoto doesn’t have stunning green eyes that can liquefy all sense from my brain, so there is really no comparison,” she muttered glibly.

He heard her. He rolled his eyes. “You married a loser, Orihime. Everyone in this town, except for you, is a loser.”

Scoff after scoff filled the cabin of the car. “Thanks for shitting on my taste in guys, Ulq.”

“I’m an asshole. Really… At least you didn’t hook up with Ivan. He takes it beyond asshole.”

“Oh shut your fool mouth. Ichigo Kurosaki is a wonderful human being and I would be lucky to hook up with him. Except the whole mutual not being attracted to one another. And the fact that he is like the needling younger brother I never wanted.”

“Then there’s the fact you’d have to compete with two other people for his attention. He has a harem.”

“Psssssht. Do you think Vega Highwell competes for attention? You either give it to me or I’m out, bitches.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. His wife was a dork. “You compete with Prinny all the time, and Adonis and King.” He reached over and grabbed her hand to give it a light squeeze. “Maybe we should ask Isane if she wants to go on a blind double date.”

“Oh god, no. I’ve learned my lesson,” she said, opening her eyes wide. “We’re almost to Urahara’s. Do you know how you’re going to present this?”

“Pay off Espada to release my band name and me of my contract and I want more money to make an album,” he stated, flipping the lever for the turn signal. “If Urahara doesn’t agree then I’m stuck with them until January of next year.”

Orihime took a deep breath. “Well, I know he’d love to have you if he can, so let’s hope this is easy and painless.”

“Yeah, I hope it is too. If I do get signed, I’m going to tell Kuchiki to fuck off if I see him, though.”

***

“Welcome Mr. Cifer!  _ Mrs.  _ Cifer!” Kisuke Urahara greeted the couple with a waggling brow as they took a seat inside his home office. It still tickled the sentimental man that his long-lost goddaughter had married her true love and was riding a tide of success. He also liked to tease both of them mercilessly at any opportunity. “What can I do for you today?”

Orihime rolled her eyes with a smile. “We’ve been married for more than eight months. Get over it,” she groaned, feigning irritation.

The older man crossed his arms over his chest and looked be tween the two. “I know! And what do you have to show for it, hmm? You’re both young and virile. You should be making raunchy music videos and posting exotic, scantily clad vacation photos on social media. And why aren’t you knocked up yet?”

Orihime sighed. She wanted this meeting to go well and she didn’t want Ulquiorra triggered. “We’re not there yet, Unc. In time. In a  _ long _ time, right?” she said, looking to her husband for agreement.

Well this meeting was already off to a  _ smashing _ start, Ulquiorra thought. He scowled at the music executive. Perhaps it was best to not dilly dally on this subject. “How much is Soul Society willing to pay to get me out of my contract at Espada and sign me?” 

A hungry smile stretched Kisuke’s lips. “That’s not my call. Gotta run it past Kyoraku. Also depends how much Espada requires to buy out your contract. They can demand whatever they want, you know. Money is not an infinite resource. However,” and here his eyes lit up, “Are you insinuating that you wish to cut ties with Espada and join your lovely bride here in the ranks of Soul Society?”

Ulquiorra took a deep breath before nodding. He hadn’t been happy at Espada Records for a while. He hadn’t been happy there since he signed. “Yeah, Gin’s been yanking me around for something that happened in Oregon.”

“You’ll need to tell me about that or I’ll be at a negotiating disadvantage,” Kisuke replied in serious tones. “I’ve known Gin Ichimaru for a long time. Longer than you’ve been alive, most likely. He is good at making deals, but he’ll always have something is his back pocket to demand more at the eleventh hour. What happened in Oregon?”

“I got into a fight with Grimmjow. He was saying something about Hailey and the baby. I may have insulted him and said some unkind words. He retaliated with saying that Ichigo Kurosaki could knock up Orihime, if she wanted a kid. I saw red,” Ulquiorra said. “I left the airport and drove from Portland to L.A..”

Urahara snorted. “That story is dead in the water. Nobody would care for more than a second if all you did was decide to drive home. Is there more to this?”

“Gin’s stopping me from accompanying Orihime when she goes on tour. I’m doing my own tour at the time; California festival circuit. He says it’s a punishment for having a tantrum,” Ulquiorra answered.

Urahara’s brow knit and he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his desk and he hands clasped together. “Mr. Cifer, I regret to inform you that you’re being taken for a ride. The argument in Oregon being a punishable offense is just a red herring. That festival tour has been in the works for a long time; industry people have been discussing the lineups for months. What is Gin trying to accomplish, I wonder, by dropping this on you now?”

This was not what Ulquiorra wanted to hear. He squeezed his hands until they made fists then released them. “Gin said if we--If I didn’t agree to do the tour, I’d lose OIV. Breach of contract nonsense.”

Kisuke’s brows shot up and he leaned back into his chair, swiveling it to face the wall to his right and tenting his fingers in front of his mouth, tapping them together as he thought. 

His eyes returned to Ulquiorra before his body turned toward him a couple of minutes later. “Mr. Cifer, I’m going to need a copy of your contract.” He didn’t want to send the singer into a panic, so he didn’t say what he suspected. “Also, how many permanent members of ObscurasIV are there?”

He needed a copy of the contract? Ulquiorra glanced at Orihime before looking at the blond man. “Uh I can email you the copy I have or I can print you off one. I scanned it so I could print it out and frame it. Not all of it but just the first and last page. Nanao did it for me. And there’s me. If you want you could count Grimmjow, but he’s his own act. He could be his own act. I am Obscuras IV. That’s it.”

Urahara’s breath was heavy. “I need a copy of every single page of your contract, including any exhibits, addendums and amendments. If you can convince Mr. Jaeggerjaquez to provide me with his, it would be quite helpful. Do you think you’ve been difficult to work with? Do you get along with others at Espada? Is there bad blood somewhere? This is not a job interview, so please feel free to answer honestly.”

Ulquiorra’s scoff was loud. Was he difficult to work with? Yes, absolutely. Did he get along with others at the record company? Absolutely not. Was there bad blood? Fuck, he was under his mother’s thumb. “Yes I am difficult to work with. Orihime can tell you this. Ivan--Ichigo can tell you this. I can’t stand the other acts they have signed at Espada. I do enjoy working with Oetsu and Wonderweiss, though. My mother works for Espada. She’s one of their executives, so for bad blood… Also the fucking Nemu thing.”

He swallowed after he said the dead woman’s name. He hadn’t said that word in a long time. 

Orihime took his hand and gave it a squeeze. She was hoping Urahara wasn’t thinking what she was thinking. “Ulquiorra, do you think that maybe… I mean, have you seen any new merchandise go out without your approval or have you noticed being more out of the loop than before?”

He shook his head. “But obviously I’m being shoved out of the plans because I didn’t even know about this festival thing. He just dropped it in our laps. I have to leave on Tuesday,” Ulquiorra replied. “I’ve been paying attention at the meetings we’ve had with the people at Espada. I’ve not been blanking out. I have no clue about merchandise. The only time I’ve approved stuff for that was before the wedding. Why?”

Urahara sighed. “Please do not panic. As soon as I have the contract in hand, I’ll get Soul Society lawyers to go through them with a fine tooth comb. The fact that Ichimaru has been trying to distract you with bogus punishments actually bodes well for you.”

“What is going on? What are you two trying to imply?”

Urahara sighed. He was going to find out sooner or later, and knowing Orihime and seeing the look on her face, it would be as soon as they left his office. “I don’t know for certain, Mr. Cifer, but I suspect that Gin is trying to squeeze you out of Obscuras IV and replace you with someone easier to control. The smoke and mirrors act hopefully points to Gin knowing he cannot legally do that. This is why I need to study your contract as soon as possible.”

He had to remain calm. He had to remain calm. It wouldn’t do for him to lose his temper like this. “You’ll have a copy of it the moment I get home. I’ll fucking hand deliver it to you, if you’d like. There is no way I’m gonna give up my stage name. I am Obscuras IV. There isn’t anyone who can fill that spot except for me.” Ulquiorra sighed and slumped back into the chair. Dammit.

“Ulquiorra,” Urahara said kindly. He rarely, if ever, used the singer’s first name. “Do act with urgency, but be assured that I act on Orihime’s best interests, and by extension, yours. I will use the resources at my disposal to stop this before it starts, if it’s going to. However, please do not mention this to anyone. That we’ve figured it out now puts us at an advantage. You may have to fulfill your obligations while we take care of this situation. In the meantime, please know that as soon as you are legally able, Soul Society will welcome you into our family of musicians with open arms, with or without the OIV moniker.”

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. Who was he _without_ that name though? 

***

The next couple of days, Rangiku didn’t go anywhere, except to sit on her balcony, glaring at the world behind her sunglasses. She had things to do but had no motivation to do them. The only thing going through her thoughts was a certain male with a raunchy number tattooed on his face. 

It didn’t make sense. She didn’t want to think of him, so why weren’t the memories of him fucking off? She couldn’t even listen to that Backstreet Boys song because it reminded her of the first night he had stayed at her place.

It had only been a three day thing… Okay more than that if she counted the motel romp. If she counted that lapse in judgment then it was 2 weeks. She had manicures that lasted longer than that.

It didn’t matter. She had an appointment to attend to and she had to start getting ready for it. Robert Accutrone had called her Friday morning and set up a thing for Tuesday. 

Did she want to go? No. She just wanted to sit there and feel sorry for herself and watch Netflix and bitch at Ash. It wasn’t Ash’s fault Rangiku was thirsty.

Eventually she took a shower, making sure to shave her legs and underarms. She would have to make an appointment with the salon to get her lady region waxed. Hell, she should just book an entire day there because she felt and looked like hell. It took her two hours to get ready, making sure she looked absolutely perfect. She picked out a plum colored tank dress that almost came to knees and a pair of dusty lavender heels. They might have been designer. She didn’t know or care. It went together. She grabbed her trusty Birkin bag and made sure her face looked perfect before putting her phone into her purse and grabbing her keys. A sigh went through her as she locked the apartment door. Another sigh went through her as she got into her car. She kept sighing until she reached Accutrone Management. 

Great. This guy was probably one of Gin’s pretentious friends with a big ego. That’s all she needed. She sat in her car for a moment, deciding if she wanted to actually go through with this when her phone dinged.

Rangiku had never gone through her purse faster to find the thing. She told herself every time she got a text that she wasn’t hoping it was Shuhei. It wasn’t this time, just like it hadn’t been numerous times before. It was Rose confirming about their filming schedule for this weekend. She texted the man back and told him it was a go. She had nothing else going on. It wasn’t like she had anyone in her life except for her demanding cat.

Getting out of her car, Rangiku walked into the building and to the reception desk. The girl behind the counter seemed polite as she gave her name. Then Rangiku had to take a seat and wait.

“Mr. Accutrone will be with you in a moment.”

Right. Now she had time on her hands. She found the most remote part of the lobby and sat, playing on her phone for five minutes before she took a selfie. She still didn’t recognize the woman on the screen. She would have to edit out the eyebags and the fact that her hair was just a tad bit frizzy. 

Oh well. That’s what they made filters for. Once she was done with that she posted it to Instagram, hashtag opportunities. Rangiku felt petty enough that she wanted to tag Orihime in it but she didn’t want to start a war. Vega.Strife00’s little guard dog would attack her if Rangiku even flipped her off. Not that Rangiku would do that, it was unrefined and Gin had always taught her to put on a perfect front.

Dammit. How long was this guy going to take? Her dress was going to wrinkle and at any minute she could start to think about Shuhei. 

Too late.

_ Fuck _ .

She missed him.

It didn’t take much longer before Rangiku wanted to call him. She wanted to talk to Shuhei, but Orihime’s words came back to haunt her. She was nothing but a whore though. Rangiku knew that look. She had expected that look from a lot of people but never from the redhead. The judging eyes and the rumors were all the same.

Okay, maybe she would text him.

She would have, but the receptionist told her Mr. Accutrone was ready for her.


	20. Chapter 20

“Miss Matsumoto, it is a pleasure to finally meet you,” Robert said as he stood behind the desk in his minimalistic office.

Rangiku thought the lack of furniture and decorations was a weird thing. Gin’s house looked almost exactly the same, but he had some color on the walls of his Beverly Hills mansion. Not the time to think of this. 

She was still _It’sRan!_ and she could charm anyone. She gave the agent a brilliant smile and held out her hand. “It’s certainly nice to finally meet you too, sir. Gin said that you were such a nice man.”

She didn’t miss the glint in his eye after she said sir. It intensified after she mentioned Gin. Fuck.

Robert gestured to one of the chairs that sat in front of the desk. “Sit,” he said before performing the action himself. ”For six months we’ve been fielding job offers for you, letting you know which ones were good and which ones were not so legit, is that right?”

Rangiku did as she was told. “Yes but I usually work with, um, Mrs. Gabrielli?”

“Berenice, yes. I got your file from her. What are you wanting?” he asked, folding his hands over the small stack of papers in front of him.

“Honestly? I’d love to have some guest spots on those shows on E! I would love to have my own show with them, if I could. I just want to get away from doing beauty reviews and clothing hauls. They’re fun, but I’m Rangiku Matsumoto, and people’s business is my game,” she said with a smile on her face. She clasped her hands and let them lay in her lap which pushed her breasts together. Maybe she should have worn something that didn’t expose so much cleavage.

“Well, as it so happens, I’m friends with some of the producers from the network. You’re right to get away from the beauty and fashion reviews. Those are popular with the younger crowd, and you seem to be phasing out of that group,” Robert said. He shuffled through some of the papers and missed Rangiku’s appalled expression.

Was he calling her old?

She was only twenty-fucking-six, for now. That wasn’t old. She wasn’t as old as… as… that one guy who was the head of the Seireitei. She wasn’t even close to thirty. “Of course,” she commented, the smile now plastered onto her face.

“What are you willing to do to make your goals become possible?”

What? Pardon me? Excuse you? Rangiku saw that look on his face again. What was she willing to do to make her goals a reality? No. This was not how she wanted this. This was not how she was going to rise to fame. She wasn’t going to use her body as something to get ahead. “A lot of hard work. I know how tedious and strenuous showbiz can be,” she said, trying to keep the pleasant tone to her words.

“Oh. Well… I guess we’ll see what we can catch with a net when we throw it,” Robert said, the look on his face dropping. He wasn’t even interested in her as a client. Rangiku could see it!

“But I mean with the right offer...” Was she going to say this? Was she going to do this? She felt like she was going to be sick. “I’d be willing to do  _ anything _ for the opportunity, sir. I can put in long, hard hours to make this happen.”

An hour later she left Robert Accutrone’s office, her stomach turning and twisting with her ripped underwear in her bag. She had agreed to it. She let him fuck her, bent over his desk. He didn’t need to be so rough with the lace panties. She had faked it, of course, telling him how good it was even when it was below mediocre. She was surprised she had a condom in her purse though. Well, no she wasn’t.

She remembered teasing Shuhei about the economy size box of condoms he had brought to her apartment. She had opened the fresh package and took one out, putting it in the bag, telling him that he never knew when she would show up. That box was still in her apartment, sitting on the bedside table.

At least she had a reason to text him now.

  * You left your condoms at my house. Did you want me to drop them off at the Cifers? I could mail them too if that’s too much of a bother.



As soon as she got to her apartment she threw up, disappointed and disgusted with herself. Accutrone was good on his promise though. By nine pm she had a meeting with him and one of the producers from the television network.

***

Orihime’s goodbye to Ulquiorra before he left for his first tour appearance was only slightly tearful. She was much more surprised at the goodbyes going on within the Grimmjow-Ichigo-Hailey triangle. Usually when she witnessed the other group’s farewells, it was Grimmjow being reluctantly clingy with Ichigo and a dry goodbye to Hailey.

Not today.

“I promise I’ll call you right away if anything happens,” the pregnant woman said, giving the blue-haired musician another hug while Ichigo stood a few steps away, twisting his lips to the side awkwardly.

Grimmjow slid his arms around Hailey, not wanting to let her go. “Don’t just call me. Text, video, smoke signals, email. Anything, okay? And don’t fucking wait for something to happen. The moment you feel anything,” he said. He didn’t bother to censor himself around these people in front of the tour bus. They were going to find out sooner or later the true nature of whatever he, Ichigo and Hailey had going on.

Before he let her go, Grimmjow kissed her and stepped back, turning towards the orange haired man. “Do not fuck this up, Ivan. You need to call if anything comes up or happens, got it?”

Ichigo scoffed. “You have so little faith. This is going to be fine. The baby isn’t due for almost a month anyway. You’ll be back this weekend.” Ichigo blew out a breath and closed the distance between them, grabbing his boyfriend by the neck and pulling him close. “I’ll call and text and shit, too,” he said before planting a kiss on Grimmjow’s jaw.

That made him clear his throat. He gave Ichigo a one-armed hug. “Even though I’m gonna be gone a couple days, you never know what is going to happen. Just make sure Hails is comfy and stress-free.” Grimmjow stood there holding the other man for longer than he had held the woman.

“Grimmjow, any more of this disgusting display of affection and I’m going to get sick,” Ulquiorra said. He was still holding onto his wife and kept threatening to drag her into the bus. He had done as Urahara said and sent the contract to him via email as soon as he stepped foot into the house. It was now just a waiting game. 

“Fuck off, Cifer.”

“Ulq’s right,” Nanao said. She was coming along with the duo. “We need to get on the bus, put our game faces on and knock this festival out of the park.”

Ichigo sighed and stepped back, falling in beside Hailey and taking her hand. “Love ya, dumbass. Have a good show,” he said at normal volume as Hailey waved.

“Aww,” Orihime breathed into Ulquiorra’s ear, still tangled up in his arms.

The green-eyed man rolled his eyes and squeezed her tighter. “Take care of our adopted son. Make sure Donnie sleeps with you at night. Send me pictures of the dumb fur babies,” Ulquiorra said as he buried his face into Orihime’s neck.

“Promise,” she said and smiled at him before kissing him breathless and stepping back. “Break a leg.”

“Don’t tell him that,” Grimmjow said coming up to the couple and grabbing Ulquiorra’s arm. “He might do it.”

***

When Orihime got home an hour later, Shuhei was outside with the dogs, skimming the pool. She figured she should try to cheer both of them up since he was nursing a bruised ego and she was sad about Ulquiorra leaving. 

“So you finished up early with Hanataro today, did ya?” Orihime asked from the French doors leading out to the pool deck.

“Yeah,” Shuhei replied, straightening up and wiping sweat out of his eyes to look at her.

Orihime inwardly rolled her eyes. Rangiku has to be a fool to pass up on Shu. His golden skin shimmered in the early evening sunlight, emphasizing his sculpted physique. “What would you say if I invited my assistant and her sister over for dinner poolside tonight?”

Shuhei didn’t care. He could use a distraction, though. Instead of his feelings about being snubbed by Ran getting better as the days passed, he only felt worse and spent all his free time overthinking and trying to figure out what he had done wrong to cause her to reject him. People would help get his mind off of it for a bit. “Yeah, sure. Want me to throw something on the grill?”

Orihime clapped her hands and did a little jump. “Yes! I’ll call Isane and ask her to pick up some burgers or whatever. I’ll tell her to bring her bathing suit, too. It’s a nice night for swimming, so don’t worry about getting changed or cleaned up or anything,” Orihime said as she went back inside. 

She wasn’t going to meddle this time. She was simply exposing him to new people. And maybe, if she felt like it, she’d post some pictures of their little get-together on Instagram. Nobody would find it weird if she tagged her husband in it with an “I miss you” message and  _ #goodluckontour  _ message. If Shuhei got tagged along with his new female friends, maybe it would help Rangiku see the light about him. Who knows.

Later that night, Orihime did take a group photo at sunset. She crouched in a swimsuit coverup surrounded by dogs, with Shu, Isane, and her bikini-clad sister Kiyone standing behind her. She tagged them all and Ulquiorra with the caption and hashtags she had planned, adding “The furbabies miss Daddy”.

After the sisters left, Shuhei helped Orihime clean up. “So, that Kiyone was a bit of a ball buster, huh?” he muttered.

“You think?” Orihime asked, keeping her cool.

“Kinda reminds me of Momo,” he replied offhandedly. “I’m tired now,” he added with a chuckle. 

Orihime laughed. “Well, you better get to bed anyway. You have to work in the morning.

With a nod, Shuhei went back to his room. After he changed his clothes he checked his phone to see Rangiku’s condom text. He curled his lip. 

  * keep them. You probably have more use for them than I do.



***

When Rangiku saw the text the next morning she frowned. She wasn’t going to take this lying down. Not with the bullshit she had to endure the past twenty-four hours. 

  * What does that mean? I don’t want your condoms. I can buy my own. 



She sounded bitter and bitchy. Oh well. She was bitter and bitchy. It was hard to resist texting him and telling him fuck you. That’s what she wanted to put in the text message. Refined lady. Not some heathen.

That reminded her, she had to check Instagram. She didn’t wade through the thousands of comments or notifications. Rangiku didn’t have time to waste on that. She scrolled through the feed and stopped on a photo. 

Vega had a little get together last night. And Ulquiorra was on tour already? Gin had mentioned something about him doing a couple of festivals. The thing that bothered her the most about the photo was the way the tiny blonde woman standing beside Shuhei was looking up at him with the most gag inducing look. He had his hand on her waist.

FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.

She was going to film an _It’sRan!_ segment today.

***

Shu was in a meeting about the upcoming tour with Orihime when he got Rangiku’s text. He scowled as he read it and tapped out a short reply in his leg under the conference table.

  * then just throw them out. I don’t need them.



Her reply was immediate since she was sitting at her makeup table. 

  * Oh. Well… my bad. Certainly looks like you might need them. I’ll drop them off anyway. You can put them in the trash, if you’d like.



What the fuck? Why was she acting like a jealous bitch? He hadn’t done anything to deserve it. She cut  _ him _ loose. He couldn’t deal with this. He had work to do.

  * whatever you want, Ran. 



Her blue eyes narrowed at his response. Tears filled her eyes and she had to use a tissue to keep them from ruining her makeup. Jesus. This wasn’t supposed to be this hard. God. He was a three day fucking fling. If it was just a three day fling, she would have washed her sheets and not scoured the internet for photos of him. It was a three day fling, she wouldn’t be this miserable. None of the responses she typed out to him sounded right. She had to go with a generic response.

  * Ok. See ya around, maybe. :)



Shuhei shut his phone off and refocused on the meeting without responding to Rangiku. Not only did she use him and toss him aside, but now she was jumping to conclusions and getting possessive, because of what, a posed poolside picture to let Ulquiorra know that Orihime missed him? He didn’t even like Kiyone much as a person, much less a potential sex partner. Well, she seemed okay and he might consider it if she would stop busting his chops, but as it stood, it was not something he was considering. He had other priorities anyway.

He was scheduled to finish recording in two weeks. Another two weeks after that was the deadline for post-production, and the following weekend was the tour announcement and albim release party. He needed to focus his attention there; not on a gorgeous blonde he had spent the three most mind-blowing nights of his life with.

It didn’t mean he didn’t think about it, though.

He had avoided her social media on purpose. It wouldn’t do to obsess over it. Thinking was overrated, right?

Maybe it was time for a new motto. If he had thought a little he maybe could have avoided this whole thing.

***

“Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of _It’sRan!_ I’m Rangiku. Thanks for all your love on Instagram and my being sick. Stupid colds. I always hate summertime colds. I would much rather be out enjoying the beaches and sunshine not stuck in bed,” she said to the camera with a brilliant smile on her face.

If she had a therapist it would probably alarm the doctor to know how quick she could switch moods and bring that mask up.

“So, I posted on Instagram about moving forward and some opportunities I had coming up. Nothing is concrete yet but I might have some more news later this month. I will keep you guys posted though.” Her stomach twisted at the thought of what she had done. Oh well. She had to get ahead in life.

“So a couple weeks ago I told you guys about OIV and Vega Highwell’s new roommate, which is important, so remember him. On the thirtieth of last month, Ulquiorra Cifer was about to throw down with his fellow band member Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. After security was called and the singer stormed out of the airport, it seems like he made a pit stop along the way. Sources tell me he got a hotel in San Francisco for the night and Vega was nowhere to be seen. Hmmm, when a man gets a hotel room in the middle of the night and he’s alone, something tells me there’s more than meets the eye.” She was also referring to Shuhei with that comment but he probably would never see this so it didn’t matter.

Rangiku looked surprised for exactly two seconds before she launched into the rest of her spiel. “So now, OIV is working summer festivals and it looks like Vega has a different playmate to enjoy the rest of the summer with.” She would insert Orihime’s latest Instagram pic here. “Look at that. She’s surrounded by those cute puppies but guess who she’s all alone with? That’s right! Her housemate Shuhei Hisagi, but it seems like Mister Hisagi is into blondes with how he has that other woman hanging off of him. I guess the mice will play while the cat’s away. Is Obscuras hooking up with women in another city? Is Vega playing around with a former love interest?”

Another smile. That’s all she had to do was smile at the camera and talk. “That’s all the tea I have for today, bye bye!”

As soon as the camera was off, Rangiku sighed and slumped in her desk chair where she filmed most of her segments. She was exhausted. She still had to drop those condoms off at the Cifer residence. She would do that before the video was posted.

Seeing the Cifer house behind the gate did nothing but twist her heart. Was Shu home? Even if he was he didn’t sound like he wanted to see her. She texted him again.

  * Your condoms are sitting in a gift bag by the gate. 



***

Orihime got off the phone with Nanao and sighed. The petty, dead-horse nature of Rangiku’s alleged “tea” was just rather sad. However, Orihime owed a lot to Ulquiorra’s faithful assistant and promised the woman she would sit down with Shuhei and then ask him to call Ulquiorra to explain. So she did.

“Are you serious? It’s ridiculous. You both know that,” Shu muttered.

“I know, but Ulquiorra is really touchy when it comes to Rangiku and needs to be reassured. Please?”

He really wasn’t in a position to say no. He was living on the Cifers’ generosity. “Fine. I’ll call Ulq.”

“No, he doesn’t have his phone. I’ll call Nanao and she will connect you.”

A minute later, Shuhei was on hold, waiting to speak to Ulquiorra.

“What?” came the hissing angry voice. Ulquiorra was pissed and Nan had taken his phone because as soon as he saw the video he was yelling.

“I dunno dude. This is all the girls’ idea. Said you would want to talk to me about the video,” Shuhei’s defensive reply was swift.

“The fuck is going on with you and your bitch? Why the fuck is she spreading lies again?” Ulquiorra spat. He couldn’t exactly leave the music festival and go home to deal with this.

“She’s not mine, asshole!”

Even Shuhei was shocked at his outburst. He did not yell at people. Where did that passion come from? He took a deep, centering breath and waited for the blowback.

The volume of the other man’s voice stopped Ulquiorra’s anger in its tracks. “You mean she picked Gin? Is that why you’ve been pissed off and angry all week?”

It wasn’t as bad as he expected. “Apparently,” Shu replied at a much less agitated volume. “We were never a couple. We didn’t talk much… We had a fling and she ended it.” He sounded tired. What he said was the truth. There had been no bold declarations or promises or talks of the future. They had just started getting to know one another before the rug was pulled out from underneath him.

“Denial isn’t a river you know.” Ulquiorra could relate to Shuhei on some level. He and Orihime had been an actual couple, though, before he fucked their relationship up. She had pulled the plug on them the day after he left Ohio in November, 2019. “Maybe you should talk to her. Everything was fine and then Orihime talked to her and now it’s shit. I liked seeing you happy instead of moping.”

“Wait, she what?” Shuhei said, brows knitting in confusion. “What did she say to her?”

“I’m not sure; Orihime wouldn’t really tell me because she knows I’m out for blood on Matsumoto. This just adds fuel to the fire,” Ulquiorra replied with a huff. 

“Still? She apologized, Ulq. Don’t you think it’s time to let it go?”

“How the fuck am I supposed to let it go when she puts it out there that I’m cheating on my wife and my wife is fooling around with you?”

“Well, it’s a desperate lashing out, sure. I’ll talk to her, Ulq. Clearly she has issues,” Shuhei said with a sigh.

“Why is she lashing out?” Ulquiorra asked. He sighed and shook his head. This wasn’t his business, but he was entrenched in it. This was all because he asked the other singer to dig up some dirt on the blonde gossiper.

“Um, I think she honestly liked me. It seemed that way…” Shuhei was quiet for a minute and started to pace the Cifers’ living room. “I mean, sometimes she acted like she was head over heels. I believed it for a little while, but I always told her I was a nobody and I guess she got her head out of ass and figured out that I was right. Why would she give up Gin Ichimaru and his connections for someone she fucked three times?” His head snapped up as he realized Orihime was still in the room. “Sorry Heemz, didn’t mean to be crude.”

His mouth twisted to the side and Ulquiorra thought about it. He was drawing a blank on the answer. “Talk to Rangiku. Ask her what the hell is up with this new video and then talk to Orihime. Maybe she’ll tell you the full story.”

“Maybe she will, maybe she won’t. It’s really not any of my business. What is my business is her trying to drag us all again. I’ll talk to her about it. There has to be some kind of misunderstanding that can be resolved if we approach the situation like grown ups.”

Ulquiorra laughed. This guy knew nothing about celebrities and acting like grown ups. Most of them acted like spoiled toddlers throwing tantrums. “You’re more of an adult than I am.”

Shuhei laughed. “I should fucking hope so, I’m older than you,  _ Dad _ !”

Ulquiorra told him to fuck off and then ended the call.

Shuhei looked back to Orihime with a weary smile and handed her the phone back. “So, he wants me to talk to Ran and then talk to you. I figure since I’ve got your attention I’ll talk to you first, if you don’t mind. What did you talk about right before she called things off with me?”

Orihime took a deep breath. She knew this question was coming. She still was very, very unapproving of Rangiku’s choices, but it was only because it could hurt her friend. If Shuhei was not in the picture, she would still strongly discourage it, just because she believed that the other woman was playing herself, but it ultimately had nothing to do with her. Only Shuhei’s involvement gave her any reason to have an opinion.

Regardless, Rangiku being Gin Ichimaru’s paid companion was told to her in confidence, and unless she felt there was no other option or that raw truth was required, she would endeavor to keep that confidence. So she told Shuhei what she told Ulquiorra, more or less. “Rangiku asked me to meet her to talk about you. I went, expecting her to ask me about you and what kind of person you are and stuff. She didn’t, though. She told me she was seeing Gin Ichimaru and hinted that she had no intention of stopping.”

Shuhei’s mouth pulled to one side and he nodded. It was what he had figured. “Anything else?”

Orihime cleared her throat. “Yeah. Um, I’m sorry if I took it too far, but I told her that she should cut one of you loose, because otherwise feelings would get hurt. I’m sorry that yours got hurt anyway.”

Shuhei took a deep breath and sighed it out, walking toward the diminutive redhead. He put his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. “It wasn’t your call, Orihime. But thanks for caring.” He let go and walked toward his room. “In the end, you made the right call. I wish Ran would have. I’ll let you know how this call goes,” he said before slipping into his room.

Once he was inside and he closed the door, he sat down on his bed. He could do this. He was a grown ass man. He’d been in jail. He could deal with a woman throwing a tantrum. Hell, he’d lived with Momo for over a year. This should be fine.

He rolled his eyes at himself before he picked up his phone and saw her message. Another eyeroll, this time for her. A gift bag? Seriously? He would deal with it later, he decided, tapping on her name in his contacts list. 

The phone rang three times before going to voicemail.

“Hi Ran, it’s Shu. Um, give me a call, we need to talk.”

***

She was currently sitting in her apartment with an empty bottle of wine and an empty wine glass. Rangiku glared at the bottle. Damn herself for not buying two of this delicious stuff… How did one make chocolate cherry wine? She would have googled it, but her phone was sitting by her bed and she was in the kitchen trying to find something else she could get blitzed on. The only other thing she found was a bottle of tequila. 

Nope. Her and whoever made this stuff weren’t friends. She knew if she drank this stuff she’d have a hangover for days. Not something she wanted to do.

Her phone rang and Rangiku slowly walked to the door of her bedroom, staring at the thing as it chimed and buzzed. Who could that be?

With a sigh, she walked over and picked it up. It said she had one new voice mail. Rangiku was at the point she should just change her number. If she changed her number he couldn’t call. He couldn’t text her. All that temptation would fall back onto her and she knew she could refrain from calling him and texting him. The only thing she let herself indulge in were the memories of him and his hard body; how those muscles were cut in his arms, chest and torso. He even had powerful legs. 

Hnnngh. Dammit.

She had to get the image of Shuhei out of her brain. That’s why she decided to drink. It wasn’t working. The only thing going through her mind was the image of him in her apartment. How he just swaggered in and claimed the empty side of her bed for himself and how her cat loved him. Her  _ kitty _ loved him.

She scoffed at herself for thinking that. A three day sex fest did not equate to love. Nothing about what they did pointed to love. Shuhei had said there was no future for them together. He hadn’t said those exact words, but he had implied it.

He probably was over it. That’s why he was posing with those others in that photo. He didn’t look distraught. He didn’t look affected by this as much as she was. He looked like Shuhei.

Flashes of his face while he was coming flashed through her brain and Rangiku sighed. She was the one thinking of a possible future with the man. Orihime had to ruin that for her though. It was probably a good thing. He probably considered her just a booty call. 

Had she been with Shuhei, she wouldn’t have fucked Accutrone and gotten her meeting with those television producers. Rangiku was beginning to hate herself for it. She hated how she was living her life. Maybe it was time to go over how much money she actually made a month and write a budget. Maybe it was time to hang up being a whore and go back to college to become a secretary with a useless degree and student loans.

She listened to the voicemail. He sounded like Shuhei. Unaffected and soft-spoken. They needed to talk? Why did  _ they  _ need to talk? What could they possibly talk about? Knowing her and her mental state and the fact that she was drunk, talking to him was bad. She would end up spilling her heart out to him or beg him to come over and fuck her. 

Rangiku did not beg.

Okay, she did beg.

She only begged one person and that person had left her a voicemail. She could ignore it. She deleted the message. Out of sight, out of mind.

***

Shuhei waited in his room for a few minutes before coming back out. Orihime sat on the couch in the same spot she had occupied with Ulquiorra last week, snuggled under the blanket, watching the same dumb TV show, but this time she was surrounded by dogs. 

Wow. That hurt. His eyes started to sting and he didn’t know why. He walked to the kitchen to get some water and avoid her gaze on his face. Before he got far he turned around and took a picture of her sitting there and sent it to Ulquiorra’s with a message, “I think they miss you.”

Fuck. That was it. He wanted what they had. He sighed and blinked the wetness out of his eyes. “Orihime? Can I talk to you?”

The woman paused her show and looked up at him. “Sure, how did it go?”

He walked over and sat in the armchair beside the couch. “It went to voicemail. What do you know about her? I mean, what's her story?“

“I'm not really sure,” she answered. “She’s pretty closed off even when we used to be kind of friendly. She talked about trivial things mostly. She tried to get gossip. Sometimes we’d talk about some dreams we had for the future, like places we’d want to visit or pets we’d like to have, goals we’d like to accomplish. But with her it was never about family or love or her past. Sometimes, -well, often- sex. But never love. I don’t think she’s ever been in a real relationship. I don’t know if she even knows how one would work.”

Shuhei sighed. It figured. “So, like,” he crossed his legs up on the large chair and leaned forward, lowering his voice a bit. “She acted like she might have been falling for me, and then like ten hours later, she was like, “Bye loser”. I don’t get it.”

“What did she do to make you think she was falling for you,” Orhime asked, also leaning in. This was riveting.

“Like, she told me I was special. She would blush and act all shy. She really, really liked having sex with me.”

It was Orihime’s turn to blush. “Well. Go Shuhei.”

Now he blushed. “Sorry, it’s just, like… Well take Momo for example. She really liked having sex, but I don’t think that it was having sex with me that she liked. She just liked having sex. I just happened to be the one she found acceptable to do it with.”

“How did things deteriorate between you two?” Orihime asked. 

“Well, we got together right after Jon sold her and the guys the business. I mean, I was still… Sorry if this makes you feel bad or whatever but I was still getting over you. You did a number on me, Orihime. Just saying.”

Orihime smiled uncomfortable and muttered a soft “Sorry,” before nodding at him to continue.

“Anyway, she kind of came into my life and took over. I was feeling kind of lost and was happy to let her do it. It wasn’t all bad though; we had a nice time together sometimes. We jammed out and watched movies and bantered. It was nice for awhile, just to not be lonely. But after a bit I went out with Kira and realized that I was happier with him. I was happier without her. I felt like I could breathe and wasn’t just her shadow or sounding board.”

Orihime nodded again, this time with more understanding in her expression. It did not surprise her to hear this about Momo. She was teeny tiny dynamite.

“Anyway, apparently she didn’t feel that way. I guess what we had was enough for her to settle with because she asked me to marry her.”

“WHAT?!?!?!?” Orihime shrieked, scaring the dogs and sending them scattering into the corners of the room.

“I KNOW, RIGHT?!!” Shuhei responded in a slightly less shrill volume. “I was like… It felt like I got hit in the face with a frying pan. And it nearly came to that after I said no. She started screaming and throwing things and pounding on me with her fists. Still, I feel bad; I just got lazy and went with the flow. But I really didn’t think she was thinking about us that seriously.”

Orihime took a slow inhale and looked at Shuhei with wide eyes and a wary expression. “Wow. No wonder you were so screwed up when you called me. You were acting like you were going to die or something. I knew we couldn’t leave you out there or let you go back to that life. There was nothing there for you. Well, there was Kira but he didn’t seem to lift you up.”

“He let me be me though, so there’s that,” Shuhei interrupted.

Orihime nodded. “Well, anything else you want to know about Rangiku?”

He leaned back into his chair and mindlessly scratched King behind the ears as the large tricolor dog sniffed around his leg. “I mean, do you think she seriously liked me, or was she just liking the sex? Because I’ll be honest, Heemz, we never really talked. We flirted, we made out, and we fucked. We don’t really know much about each other that hasn’t been part of an expose on your husband or something on her social media.”

Orihime looked at him for a long moment and then her eyes wandered off into the distance as she recalled the conversation she had with Rangiku at the lingerie store. “Honestly? I don’t think she understands her own feelings, but she was really, really hurt when I suggested she leave you alone. She looked like I had killed her cat. So I think her interest in you was genuine, Shu.”

He took a huge breath and sighed it out slowly, his body melting into the surface of the chair he was on. “Well, apparently it wasn’t enough to distract her from Ichimaru, was it?” He asked. He didn’t expect an answer, and Orihime didn’t say anything other than to offer him a conciliatory smile and nod. “So, what’s this dumb looking show that you and Ulq watch all the time?”


	21. Chapter 21

Ulquiorra was kind of embarrassed as he watched Grimmjow greet Ichigo and Hailey. He knew the guy was an asshole, but it seemed as if his blue-haired band member had a soft spot. Grimmjow had ignored his luggage and walked up to Ichigo, grabbing the other man’s jaw and kissing him roughly. It kind of made the green-eyed man uncomfortable. 

There was whispering between the two before Grimmjow smiled and punched Ichigo in the arm. It was just as bad when the man saw Hailey. Grimmjow acted like she was the only person in the world and even Ichigo didn’t exist. Arms were wrapped tenderly around the woman and he was whispering in her ear with one hand splayed on the woman’s pregnant stomach; the other tangled in her blonde hair at the base of her skull. Hailey looked so happy.

Hmph.

The lead singer shifted his stance and sighed. He had told Orihime they’d be back by eleven a.m. The driver had estimated too much time and Ulquiorra had about thirty minutes of free time before she would show up. He could call her and see if his wife could get there earlier. Knowing her she was already on her way and stuck in traffic or something. It was Saturday after all. Traffic was bound to be terrible. Traffic was hell in Los Angeles every day, though.

He had texted the redhead and sent pictures every day. It was very different than the first time he came out here. Ulquiorra was a different person than he was back in 2019. At least he thought so. Others would probably argue he was the same hard-headed prick. 

He pulled out his phone and looked at it. There was a text message from a contact named MR. Ulquiorra hadn’t read it yet. MR was Mila Rose, the rough, street-savvy woman from San Francisco who had started out doing a gossip vlog on high-profile people in Silicon Valley. Shuhei said she was a porn star. Ulquiorra had asked her if this was true. Mila confirmed it in person.

He had lied to Orihime about having a panic attack and stopping. Mila said she was in San Francisco for the day and wanted to talk to him. They sat in a small cafe across from the hotel and talked about Rangiku. Apparently there was a porn out there that featured the blonde woman.

“Give me the title,” Ulquiorra said to the woman.

“No, babe. Nope. I’m not going to be murdered by your wife when she learns you got a porn of a youtube vlogger in your possession. You’re known for throwing people under the bus at times,” Mila said, laughing.

Ulquiorra had rolled his eyes at her. He hadn’t told Shuhei this after he found out. He didn’t know how the guy would take it. He had been trying to protect Shuhei while his wife had been sabotaging things for the guy. Orihime had her heart in the right place. It was Shu’s life, though.

The only reason he had gotten physically involved with Rangiku was at Ulquiorra’s insistence. Shit. Now the guy was miserable and his former lover was spreading lies around. 

He opened the text and read what was written on the screen.

MR:  
 _Yo babe! I’m really loving the rangiku’s sick stuff. She sounds miserable. Was she sick? Do you know anything about this opportunity? LMK! <3 _

Scowling at the message, Ulquiorra replied to the woman with a short text that he didn’t know anything and he would keep her posted. Then he called Orihime.

“Hi! Are you almost there yet? I’m on the way,” she answered, joy in her voice.

“We got here, like, ten minutes ago. I was wondering if you were on the way. Grimmjow’s sucking face with Ivan and Hailey. You should see it. She looks so happy. It’s making me sick to my stomach,” Ulquiorra said in a gentle voice.

Orihime scoffed. “Well, I would be there to see it if you had called me and told me you were running fast like Grimmjow apparently did to them,” she said and sighed. Why? She could not understand why he wouldn’t just pick up the damn phone and call her. It made her look like the bitch diva wife who couldn’t get there on time on top of making her feel like Ulquiorra didn’t think she was important enough to be kept in the loop. “Well, I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.” She sounded considerably less happy than she had when she picked up the phone.

He noticed the shift in her voice and sighed. “I didn’t think we’d get here this early. C’mon, Orihime. Don’t do this to me today. I missed you. I want to go home with you and just relax. I want to see the dogs. I want to sleep in my bed and take a shower in my huge one. I want to sit and watch that silly show you love with you. I didn’t want you to bother you with rushing to get here because what if we were late?”

“It’s fine. It’s fine,” she said, plastering a smile on her face and trying to convince herself as much as him. “The dogs are going to go ballistic when they see you.” She had to bite the inside of her cheek when he called it his bed and his shower instead of theirs, though.

“I’m gonna be just excited to see you,” he said. “Like Donnie wiggling his butt when he sees you.”

Her stomach clenched. She didn’t believe him at all. “I hope so,” she said with a giggle.

There was something off about her voice. She did this every time he didn’t call her with every little detail. It wasn’t like the incident last month. He sighed and pushed his hand against his cheek. “How’s Shu? I haven’t heard from him after we talked.”

The woman’s dark cloud lightened a bit when she thought of their roommate. “He’s doing a lot better. We had a heart to heart that night. He told me about what happened with Momo and Rangiku. He seems to have a good perspective on everything. He’s not happy about it, but he’s not beating himself up or anything. He’s pretty focused on work.”

“That’s a good thing; being focused on work instead of personal drama. He might turn into a decent musician if he keeps it up,” Ulquiorra said. “Did he talk to Matsumoto? Did he find out why she said those things that she said on the video?”

“No, I don’t think so. He left her a voicemail that night and she didn’t call back and he hasn’t said anything about it since. I don’t want to bring it up all the time and bum him out, you know?”

“I get it. Understandable. I’m glad he’s pushing past this. I should take him out for a drink once he’s done recording. We could get that blonde chick that you took the photo with and make it a double date. He’s gonna need the distraction once fame comes around and smacks him in the face.”

Orihime chuckled. “Maybe. He didn’t seem too keen on Kiyone, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. He said she reminded him a bit too much of Momo, though. Anyway, any idea what you want for dinner? Shuhei threw something in a slow cooker before he left to go out and it smells amazing,” she said the last word with great emphasis.

Ulquiorra laughed. “Hisagi cooks? Imagine that. Uh, I was going to take you out but we can do that tomorrow if you’d like.”

“Nope. Nope Nope Nope. You said it, now you have to do it. Besides, we could always go to some pretentious place with tiny portions and then come home and scarf the good stuff.”

“Could go to Pink’s and eat weird hot dogs too,” Ulquiorra replied, a smile on his face. “But in all honesty, I would kill for something that is cooked properly instead of wondering if a food cart is gonna give me food poisoning. I missed you so much. I know it was only a couple of days but this entire thing is bullshit.”

She smiled for real. “I missed you too, Hotshot. The festival was no good though?”

“A thing called Outside Lands sounds like a bad Mad Max remake or spin off. It was like Burning Man without the cool sculptures.”

“So just a bunch of hippies in the desert tripping on peyote and getting naked? Were those tribal Dave Matthew wannabes we saw in Austin there?” she laughed at the memory. “Did it smell like patchouli and Birkenstock feet?”

“I don’t think so, but I spent most of the time there in the bus while Grimmjow bitched about the heat. Are you almost here? I kind of want to get naked with you now that you said it.” Ulquiorra felt better while talking to Orihime.

She noticed a kind of nervous quality to his voice that he was presenting more and more recently. It happened when he came back from Portland and they argued. It happened before he told her that he had asked Hisagi to try to get together with Matsumoto. He was doing it now. “Is everything alright? You sound a bit out of sorts.”

“Huh? Yeah I’m fine. I just want to see my wife,” Ulquiorra replied. “I’m just wanting to get away from Espada Records’ parking lot. I know Gin isn’t here but I want to go in there and set his office on fire.”

“Are you meeting with Soifon this week? Because if not, you probably should and mention the arson impulses,” she said with a nervous laugh.

A roll of the eyes. “Yes I am. Wednesday is the day. I will make sure that she notes down my murderous impulses concerning Gin. I will tell her about my transgressions concerning not notifying you of plans and what is happening on the Matsumoto front.”

“Good. And guess what?”

“What?” He asked and turned to see Grimmjow still talking to Hailey but this time including Ichigo. He had to wonder if Orihime would be that happy if he gave into her maternal wishes.

“Turn around.” She was pulling up into the parking lot behind him.

He gave a small laugh and turned around to see Orihime. The smile on his face grew bigger and he pressed the red circle on his screen and put his phone into his pocket before he quickly walked over to the vehicle. This was his wife and he was happy to see her. Ulquiorra knew he wasn’t really all that good at conveying things but he did love this woman with everything he had. “Vega,” he said as she got out of the car.

“Ernie. You look no worse for wear,” she said with an appreciative smile as she looked him over. She knew that her entire world was wrapped up in the man standing a few feet away from her. It scared her how much she loved him sometimes. There was always a trace of desperation whenever they were separated that only went away when they were reunited. And the reunions were usually very sweet.

Ulquiorra wasted no time embracing his wife and kissing her deeply, his hands sliding down her rib cage and waist to rest on her hips. He could hear Grimmjow behind him gagging and telling them to get a room. “Shut up loser!” he said to the blue-haired man. He turned to stare at the redhead for a moment. “I’m a mess without you, woman. Let me grab my bag and we can go home.”

***

Shuhei was doing alright; that was not a stretch. It had been about a week since he had heard from Rangiku and he was feeling wiser, if not exactly happy, but he wasn’t devastated. Three days of amazing sex and little else takes some time to come down from. It was okay that he wasn’t totally over it. 

He was glad that Ulquiorra was coming home. Orihime was great and they got along well, but she worried and kind of hovered around without Ulquiorra there to distract her. Today was his first day off in a whole week and he needed a distraction. A self-care day. He started by making a slow-cooker full of his -well, Shelly Petersen’s- famous spicy Italian beef. By the time he left the house later that morning, the smell of shoulder roast and spicy giardiniera was filling the kitchen and living room. His mind was full of little else than the end product, layered with melty provolone cheese and a fresh, fluffy Italian roll. He just needed to go out and get fresh rolls.

While he was at it, he decided to go shopping. He was told by his stylist that rather than having costumes made, since he was not a headliner, he would be given a wardrobe budget and was to choose items that adhered to a set of guidelines given to him by Kirio. There were a few pieces for the songs that he would be playing onstage with Orihime that the stylist would put together for him, but for the rest he was on his own. 

He thought it was awesome. He could buy some clothes on the company dime and he got to keep them all when the tour was over. They would even replace whatever wore out along the way. The only thing that sucked was that Shuhei’s tolerance and stamina for shopping was rather low. He hoped that if he got out earlier in the day it wouldn’t be so crowded or obnoxious.

His plan was to go to a place that Isane had recommended him a store that sold not-overly-douchy but still on-trend young men’s fashion. After that, he’d hit up a shoe store and then stop at a bakery and come back home.

His trip to the clothing store went alright. He picked up a couple pairs of artfully distressed jeans and some t-shirts and a couple shirts and a light jacket. With the help of a bashfully flirtatious salesgirl, he was in and out of the shop in less than an hour and a half. 

It was the shoe store that was giving him a headache. By the time he got there it was packed. He could feel his skin crawl as he dodged people walking past, partially blinded by towering stacks of shoe boxes as they navigated the too-narrow aisles gracelessly. He was trying on a pair of black Vans when he heard a familiar snort of derision. He raised a brow and looked down the main aisle of the store to see a woman with the body of Venus in a dark… was it indigo? Periwinkle? Shuhei didn’t know, he wasn’t like a Pantone expert or anything. But the dark blue dress was expensive looking and draped over her body like it was made to order.

He would have recognized her anywhere, despite the sunglasses, her hair piled up into a huge messy bun, and her face half-hidden by the phone plastered to her ear. To his surprise, he smiled at the sight of her.

“Shinji, just shut up. It’s a damn meeting. A meeting that you’re joining me at because I don’t want to go alone. I’m already picking out the perfect outfit for you. We can match. We can be like best friends,” Rangiku said as she stood there, not caring if she was taking up space. She felt like a down day was in order. She had been drafting ideas for potential shows she could do. If this meeting with E! failed, Rangiku would just become a stylist or maybe a personal shopper. She was good at shopping. She could do that. 

She had done the math and her bills were paid from the sponsorships and the YouTube monetizations. The only thing that Gin’s money really paid for was her makeup hauls and her shopping trips, not to mention the top shelf alcohol and the fancy dinners. 

Once again the blond man was bitching.

“If you think I’m going to be alone with--Oh, excuse me,” she said, glancing up at whoever she ran into as she started walking towards a different section. 

“Hey Ran, be careful,” Shuhei said in a warm voice with a soft smile, holding a hand out to stop her from losing her balance.

Oh fuck. Oh no. Oh shit. Rangiku’s eyes widened and she quickly hung up on Shinji although he was asking a million questions in ear. “I’m sorry. I didn’t...” Rangiku looked up at Shuhei glad that her eyes were shielded from view. If they came off they’d show how devastated she was seeing him again. She had been doing so good with just keeping the thoughts of him confined to when she was laying in bed. Her pillow case had been soaked with many tears because of this guy and the fact that they were incompatible. “Shu,” she whispered.

“It’s nice to see you, Ran,” he said softly with that kind smile still in his face. “You look good.”

“Oh god.” That’s all she could vocalize. Her mouth was dry and Rangiku studied him. He looked like a fucking greek god carved out of marble. Same hot body and same handsome face. His tattoo looked a bit weird to her. “You...You still…”

“Still what?” he asked, now sure she was not going to fall and taking his hand off of her reluctantly. “What’s new?”

She had to take a deep breath. The spot he had touched felt like fire and she wanted to feel that sensation all over her body. She wasn’t going to finish her previous statement because if she did she would tell him how much of a sexy motherfucker he was. “Uh, nothing really. I was just--I, uh...” Dammit. Why couldn’t she think of words?

“Shopping?” he offered, his smile stretching into a grin. “You don’t have to be nervous, Ran. I’m not going to bite your head off about the segment.”

The blonde shook her head. “It’s not that. I’m not nervous,” she managed to get out. Rangiku had to leave. She couldn’t talk to him. Words weren’t coming and all she wanted to do was have him fuck her silly and hold her afterwards. That wouldn’t be good. Especially since he probably didn’t want a whore. She pushed past him and headed towards the exit. A part of her brain told her that she wanted him to follow her but a small part said this was a bad idea.

Orihime told her that she should drop both of the men. That’s what Rangiku was in the process of doing and seeing Shuhei would just make her remember him. Not that she ever forgot him.

Shuhei shook his head as he watched her barrel her way out of the shoe store. So much for the idea that she might want to talk to him. Oh well. He was sure that unless she was retiring anytime soon, he’d run into her again sooner than later. It was only about a month to go until his big party and then people like her would be stalking him like they did to his roommates, if he was as lucky as Orihime and Kisuke insisted that he would be.

She stopped just before she hit the doors. What if she actually sat down and talked to him? What if she threw away whatever ideals and thoughts Gin had instilled in her to let Shuhei in? He would never accept her and what she did. She had fucked people for money. She had fucked someone for the opportunity to get a potential spot on television. Rangiku licked her lips and tucked her phone into the non-designer bag she had with her then turned around. She could do this. However, she didn’t want to show him how vulnerable she was at the moment. She felt exposed being around him.

Sometimes Rangiku was an idiot. She didn’t listen to herself. She acted on impulse when she was stressed out. She took off her sunglasses and looked at Shuhei from where she stood.

He saw her stop and turn around. One confused brow rose slowly as she made no further move. “Did you forget something?” he finally asked when he was sure she had entered a state of suspended animation.

“No,” she said then paused. She felt conflicted. “Maybe.”

He had an idea that, in true Shuhei fashion, he decided not to think about before he acted on it. “Maybe? Because it feels like, to me, that you have an opinion on these shoes. No good?” He asked, holding up the black felted sneakers.

Rangiku slowly walked back towards him, taking deep breaths to keep herself calm. “I have a lot of opinions on a lot of things. Those shoes? Those are new shoes, never been touched or walked in. Maybe someone came in and tried them on. Knowing that, would you still want them?”

Idiot. She was stupid.

He had no idea what she was on about. “Well, unless they were totally wrecked and unusable or just like, I don’t know, um, ugly or smelly, then I probably wouldn’t care? I’m not much of a stickler for shiny and new. Worn and in good condition suits me just fine.”

“What if they had a flaw? What if you couldn’t break in these new shoes?” Rangiku was hoping that he would get what she was saying.

He certainly did not. He was still under the impression that she was talking about shoes. “I’m not going to buy busted shoes. I’m confused about why you’re asking me this. Can I negotiate a discount if I find something wrong with these?”

Shuhei was male. It was normal for males to be oblivious. Rangiku knew this. She gave him a smile and reached out to touch the button on the jacket he wore. At least she thought it was a jacket. Her smile grew a bit wistful. This was the same dumb bunny who didn’t know which way a condom went on in the heat of the moment. “I was talking about me, Shuhei,” she said. “I was comparing myself to the shoes.”

He huffed out a confused laugh. “Well, I hate to break it to you, Ran, but you are nothing like a pair of shoes. People are too complex to boil down into trite analogies to footwear. Give yourself some credit, okay?” He shook his head, unwilling to indulge her indirect methods but amused by the attempt. “Anyway, yay or nay on the shoes?”

Oh. So he wasn’t interested in her. She was a moron for even trying. Her mouth pressed into a thin line and Rangiku had to fight to keep it from trembling. 

He saw it and sighed a bit, shoulders dropping as two fingers came up to catch her chin between them. “I meant what I said in that voicemail, Ran. I’d like to talk to you.” He looked into her eyes and tried to think of something to say but he had conflicting thoughts. He finally got one to bubble to the surface. “I know you talked to Orihime. I know about your relationship with Ichimaru. I always did. If that’s what this is about, then calm down.” He was trying to be encouraging. She looked like she wanted to bolt. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to; I know I’m not a part of your circle. Still, you know.” 

“The only relationship I have with Gin is a business one,” Rangiku said after he trailed off. Her heart sank and she couldn’t stop it when her eyes felt like they were burning. What the fuck was with this man? Why did he have this hold on her? Was it due to the fact that he took a minute to get her off and made sure she got hers? Was it the fact that he was nice to her? “Orihime told me to leave you alone and stop whatever I was doing with Gin. She stood there and judged me even though she doesn’t know me. What do you want to talk about?”

“I don’t even know you. You don’t even know me. And you certainly don’t know Orihime if you think that’s why she told you that,” Shuhei said, setting the box of shoes down and leaning against the rack. His words and eyes were untroubled as he said this. He’d been thinking about it for a week. He wanted to clear up any misunderstandings and then see where they stood. “She told you to drop me because she wants to protect my feelings. She is sorry for getting involved but she feels responsible for talking us up to each other.”

“She told me to drop you because she thinks I’m a whore,” Rangiku stated in a harsh whisper. “You told me that this wouldn’t go anywhere. I wanted you to know who I was. I wanted to let you in but you seemed--I don’t know.”

“You like to put words in people’s mouths, don’t you?” He looked at her with a slightly disappointed brow. “I specifically asked to talk to you. How much more clear do I have to be? And as for Hime, she never called you a whore. That’s not a word she bandies about lightly. That’s something she got into an argument about with her husband in your defense, if memory serves.” Now he was getting slightly irritated. He knew how much calling anyone a whore deeply troubled his friend and he didn’t like Rangiku accusing her otherwise.

She looked away from him after he practically scolded her. She was going to act like a brat. Rangiku folded her arms under her breasts to push them up and together and then said, “So you want to talk to me. Where? Want to go to my place? Your place? A hotel?”

He scoffed, unimpressed with her attitude. “How about coffee. Clearly if we want to understand each other at all there needs to be some grown up conversing going on,” he refrained from adding, _not whatever this is._

“Why? What’s the point? You don’t want me. I was probably just a booty call,” she said. Her face said she was unhappy. “That’s all I am to people. Boobs and a body. No one cares about--You know what? Whatever. No one cares.”

“Shut up. You can’t expect to act like a bitch to everyone who attempts to get to know you and then get offended when they don’t want to jump through hoops and kiss your ass after you’ve pissed them off. You ditched me. Not the other way around. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. I offered. The offer is on the table. But I’m not playing these head games with you or anyone else, Ran. I’m too old for that shit,” he said and picked up his shopping bags from the previous store and turned toward the exit, leaving the unpurchased shoes on the bench. “Call me if you change your mind,” he said as he walked out of the store.

Well. She could feel her heart breaking all over again. People were staring at her. Rangiku slipped her sunglasses back on her face and turned to leave the store. She wanted to talk to Shuhei. She wanted to tell him all about her. When she exited the store she pulled out her phone and started walking. It was stupid, but she wanted to hear his voice even if he was mad. She wished she was different and could open up to people. 

She took a deep breath and tapped on his name. 

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and picked it up, seeing her name on the screen. He sighed. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to talk to her now. She was obviously not in a rational frame of mind and not interested in hearing what anybody but herself had to say. Still, he had said he would talk to her and he hated to go back on his word. He answered in a tired voice, “Ran?”

“You have people to look out for you. I understand that. I’m surrounded by people who are waiting for me to fuck up so they can swoop in and take my place. They’re vultures. None of the people that surround me care. I know I ditched you, Shu. I did it to protect myself because no one else is protecting my feelings except for me. I want to talk to you. I want to--” her words hitched as she tried to breathe. She wouldn’t cry in public. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not asking for an apology, Rangiku. I wonder if you understand that the people who surround you are the people you’ve chosen; the people you’re still choosing. Orihime was your friend and you shit on her and her husband over and over. I wanted to know you and you pushed me away. I still don’t know you, Ran. I know we have hot sex and flirt nicely and during those couple of days we were together I felt comfortable with you, but—“ he sighed. This was an in-person conversation, not a walking down a busy street conversation. “I am more than happy to talk about this in person.”

  
“Meet me at my apartment.”

“Ran…” He didn’t want that. He didn’t want her to do what he’d seen countless women do and try to seduce her way to temporary happiness. “I don’t think a former love nest is a good spot to have a heart to heart conversation,” he said with a nervous chuckle.

“I’m not going to fuck you. I don’t have any protection and I’m on my period. Don’t worry. You’re not interested in me. I get that, Shu.”

That pissed him off again. “Ran, I’d love to come over and talk, but if you are going to keep putting fucking words in my mouth before I even get there, then this conversation is over before it starts. Are you ready to talk like grown ups or do you need more time to cool off? Because I’ve got a roast in the slow cooker and I don’t have all day to do this back and forth bullshit.”

“Fuck you.” God she had been dying to say that to him. “Just fuck you, Shuhei.”

He had hung up before she had finished the first “fuck”. He didn’t need this kind of drama in his life. He had just gotten out of a verbally abusive relationship. He didn’t need to get into another one. Maybe he just dodged a bullet, he thought as he walked into the bakery. That thought did not stop the sick feeling in his stomach, though.

Rangiku decided she was done with this. She’d go back to the same way she was before Shuhei Hisagi came into her life. She told Gin what she was going to do. She called Robert and let him know. Then she called all the people who helped her with _It’sRan!_ and let them know.

The next time Shuhei tried to contact her someone else was going to answer. She changed her number without another thought then erased his name and contact information from the device. He called her a bitch, well she was going to show him how much of a bitch she could be. Not that he cared.


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as they got into the house, Ulquiorra became lost under a pile of dogs. Orihime tolerated it and snapped pictures for exactly three minutes before she had enough and sent them outside. Once the door was shut, she called for Shuhei. When he didn’t answer, she looked at her husband and grinned. “Looks like we’re alone,” she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the stairs that would take them down to their bedroom.

She didn’t stop to consider  _ why  _ she felt so desperate for him, and even if she did, she would have probably just chalked it up to missing him, but there was a kind of need in her that day that was almost frightening in its intensity. As soon as they were in their room, she pushed her husband down into the bed and climbed on top of him, straddling his thighs and letting her fingers dive into his black hair as she kissed him with unprecedented urgency. Her face angled in one direction and her tongue pushed into his mouth until she couldn’t breathe, only to pull back and dive back in at another angle without a break, always trying to get deeper; closer: trying to breathe his breath without letting any escape.

Mmmm. Ulquiorra liked this when she took control. He very seldom allowed it but when he just sat back and relaxed he found things were ten times better. One hand tangled into her hair while the other stroked its way down her back to her ass which he squeezed. “Woman,” he whispered.

When she heard his favorite pet name for her a shudder went through her body. “Ulquiorra,” she whispered back, “I missed you.” Her lips moved away from his and to his jaw, where she always lingered to smell him. While she was there, reimprinting the scent that she associated with him, her hands moved down the back of his neck to his shoulders, where they worked under the shirt he wore. It wasn’t enough, and so she sat up for a moment and peeled the shirt off of his body before returning to her spot under his jaw, this time latching onto the warm skin and sucking it into her mouth. She didn’t care if she left a mark. She wanted to leave a mark. She wanted to claim him and make it known that Ulquiorra Cifer belonged to Orihime Cifer. She would mark him from head to toe if that’s what it took to get the message across.

He shivered under her and groaned. He was happy that Orihime seemed to miss him as much as he missed her. He continued to squeeze her ass and her thighs as she molested his neck. “You’ve got too much clothing on, Hime. I want to feel you. I want to see you,” he said to her. “I want to touch you.”

Without releasing his neck her hands grasped at the sundress she wore and started pulling it up her body. When she finally had to sit up she whined at the loss of contact and pulled it the rest of the way off, then quickly undid her bra and tossed it aside. Without pause her mouth came down to the other side of his neck.

Ulquiorra’s hands roamed freely over her body now, feeling how silky smooth her skin was beneath his fingertips. She was soft too. When her mouth hit a particularly sensitive spot, his back arched, making his hips move against her. “You are amazing, Wife. Hnnngh,” he groaned. It was warming up in the room and all Ulquiorra wanted to do was take his clothes off and bury himself into her.

That touch of his body pressing against her made her mouth water. She released his neck and kissed her way down his body, taking her time and leaving red and purple blotches down his chest. When she got to his lower belly her kisses gentled somewhat, and she pressed her cheek against the skin there, murmuring, “I love you, Husband. I love you so much.” Her fingers worked on undoing the button and zipper of his pants as she went back to placing soft kisses on his belly and hip bones

“I love you, Orihime,” he said with a content sigh. He loved his wife. She was flawed in many ways, but he worshiped the ground she walked on. He would do anything she asked. “Are you going to do what I think you’re going to do?”

She didn’t answer as she freed his cock from his underwear, pushing them, along with his pants, down to his knees. One soft hand encircled his semi-hard cock and started to move up and down its length. She did not leave him in suspense for long. She closed her eyes and kissed the tip, then each side of it, then the base of it, before lapping the underside of it from balls to tip, ultimately swallowing it.

A low moan left his mouth as Orihime started sucking his cock. He cupped her face and looked down at her, watching how the length slid in and out of her mouth. Fuck. “I love you. I love you. You look good doing this. Oh.”

Because he wasn’t completely hard, she had an easier time and was able to exert more pressure with her lips. She hummed a closed-mouth groan as she tasted his skin and inhaled the warm, earthy, familiar scent of this region of his body. Her hands smoothed up the sides of his hips and ribs, across his chest, pressing her fingertips into his nipples before raking down his front back to the base of his cock. She released his now hard member from her mouth and walked her knees up his thighs.

Her eyes were dazed-looking and her lips were red, swollen, and wet as they parted to breathe. She used one hand to push her panties to the side while the other one helped to guide his cock to her entrance as she sank down onto his body.

This wasn’t one of those times for fast paced, rough, hard fucking. No. Ulquiorra wanted to enjoy this. His teeth worried his bottom lip as he watched his cock disappear inside of Orihime as he bent his knees and braced his feet on the bed. Pushing slowly into her was torture, but it was the kind he liked. It was the kind he enjoyed. The pulling out was also agony but damn did it feel good.

How was it possible to love one person as much as she loved him? Her emotions threatened to choke her, and her chest ached as she moved on top of him, slowly raising and lowering her hips, angling to drag across his skin in order to maximize the delicious, maddening friction the movement caused. If she could always envelope him, every moment of her life, she would gladly do it. Her hands rested gently on his stomach as she moved, sometimes opening her eyes to gaze down at his handsome face, causing her heart to ache and swell again. “I love you, Ulquiorra. I love you,” she whispered as she made love to him.

Her words. The sight of her body. The way she breathed. The smell of her arousal. Her laughter. Her silly ways. There wasn’t just one way Orihime turned him on. There wasn’t just one thing he loved about her. It was everything. “Vega, don’t stop. I’m going to come soon. I want you to come with me--on me,” he said holding her hips and helping her ride him.

Her walls swelled, and as she continued to move, their engorged state made it more and more difficult. She rocked her body against him as she struggled, arms and legs trembling, until she fell apart, coming on him. His name fell from her lips in a sob as her core tried to drain his essence from him. She couldn’t contain the tears that sprang suddenly from her eyes even as she continued to rock her hips on him and ride out wave after wave of mind-numbing bliss.

He pulled her closer, holding her. He felt it too. His eyes burned and he sniffled. “I love you, my love. I wish I could be with you all the time. I would follow you anywhere.”

As she came down from her orgasm and her mind cleared a bit, she wrapped her body around him, holding on tightly and pressing her face into the side of his. “Same. I missed you so much. I—“ her throat closed, stopping her voice, and she kissed his cheek instead, pressing her lips softly into the skin and remaining there as her breath struggled, hoping that he understood her heart as more hot tears slipped down her cheeks.

Ulquiorra sighed. “If I sign with Soul Society, I won’t ever let us be apart. You won’t miss me ever again.”

She chuckled silently and replied, “Knowing me, I’d find a way.” She pulled her face back enough to smile at him and said, “Welcome home.”

***

The howling from outside was the first clue. Then a masculine voice. “King! I swear to fucking god if you eat my rolls I’ll turn you into a throw rug!”

Ulquiorra raised his head, roused from the nap he took. “Orihime,” he said.

“Hmmmm?” The groggy voice answered. “Oh, it’s just Shu.” She faceplanted her head back onto his chest.

“He just threatened King. If he hurts my baby I’m not going to be happy,” he murmured.

Orihime groaned and pushed herself up. “Okay, Okay,” she sighed and stood up off the side of the bed, stretching her arms overhead and bending from side to side until she felt the sleep leave her limbs and spine. “I’ll go protect them,” she said, walking over to the bedroom door in just her panties. A silk robe hung on a hook in the back of the door, which she reached for and started to put on. It was not exactly the most modest choice. The fabric was opaque but laid on her body like water.

“Hnnngh,” he groaned looking at her. “My wife is a hottie.”

She looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a sly smile.“Lucky for my husband, nobody else notices,” she giggled as she opened the door. “I’ll go see what’s going on. Are you going to come up?”

“I will in a couple minutes. I have to remember how to walk,” he joked. “Give me a few.”

“Okay,” she said and smiled at him again, tying the sash of her robe before following the sound of Shuhei’s grumbling and the smell of juicy, spicy Italian beef up the stairs.

“Princess! Donnie! King! Go wake up Daddy!” the woman said in a sweet voice as she reached the top of the stairs. She was almost knocked down by the clamor of claws and wagging tails that followed. When she regained her balance, she saw Shuhei in the kitchen, staring at her in silence.

“So, how has your day been going?” she asked.

He kept staring at her with a hard expression for a moment, then said, “Oh, just  _ peachy _ . Nice robe, by the way. I can totally see your nipples.”

Orihime was rendered speechless. How rude! Also, screw him, it was her house, she could walk around naked if she wanted! “What crawled up your butt and died?”

Shuhei scoffed and turned to the slow cooker, lifting the lid to check on it without another word.

Ulquiorra heard Orihime’s words and he jumped out of bed, slipping on a pair of sweats before hurrying upstairs. What was going on? He walked into the kitchen, scowling. “What the hell is going on?”

Shuhei’s eyes widened at the sight of Ulquiorra’s neck and body. “What happened to you?” he asked, visibly worried.

“My wife happened. What is going on? Are you being shitty to her? If you are what the fuck is your problem?”

“I’m not trying to, sorry,” he grumbled. I just didn’t expect…” he glanced over at the other man’s wife and raised his brows marginally with a weary expression. “Also I bumped into Rangiku today.”

Ulquiorra sighed. “I thought you were over this? It was a three day thing and you’re in a bad mood because you bumped into her?” Shaking his head, he added, “it’s our house. My wife can wear what she would like. Please respect her.”

Shuhei sighed. “It would’ve been fine if Ran hadn’t been such a fucking crazy bitch. Now I’m all agitated. Sorry.” He looked at Orihime. “Sorry. You look fine. Nice. You look nice and fine.”

Of course the vlogger was a crazy bitch. “You’re going to have to elaborate on that. Did you talk to her about that video?”

“I didn’t even get there.” Shuhei looked at the meat. “Do you guys want some of this? I made a lot.”

Orihime was nearly drooling and sounded almost perverse when she answered, “Dear god, yesss.”

Ulquiorra smiled at Orihime. “She has been talking about this all day. Like she was literally drooling in the car. Shu, are you okay?”

“Not really,” he said, pulling plates down from a cupboard and bowls and serving utensils. “I ran into her at a shoe store and she looked like she was going to cry and then she got all bratty and pouty and bitchy. I told her we could talk and whatever and then she badmouthed you, Orihime, so I got pissed and told her that you always stick up for her, and then she got all mopey again and called herself a whore and acted like she wanted me to chase her, but honestly at that point I was totally confused. She doesn’t make any sense. And then,  _ then, _ she came back to me and basically did the whole song and dance again, this time accusing  _ me _ of treating her like a booty call and then kept saying I wasn’t interested in her. It’s like she has the entire conversation with herself. Then,  _ THEN _ , she left and called me and told me “fuck you.” I hung up on her. She can fuck herself!” He finished with a huff and then asked, “Do you want cheese and as jus?”

Ulquiorra looked at his wife with wide eyes and a concerned look. There were several issues there and a lot to sift through. “Orihime,” he said.

“Yeah I want both,” she said, focusing on the food. “What is it, Babe?” she said when she focused on her husband.

Ulquiorra just shook his head. Did she not understand the situation? It sounded like he was listening to himself from a couple years ago. It sounded to Ulquiorra like Shuhei was trying to ignore his feelings and just push them all to the side. The green eyed man knew what the consequences of doing that were. “Save me some, I’ll get it later. I’m going to get my laptop and do some work.”

“What? Why now?” Orihime asked, offended that he’d ditch them. He just got home!

“Yes it’s important now. I won’t be long.” Ulquiorra turned and went back downstairs to grab his laptop off the bench at the end of the bed. He needed to talk to Soifon now. He had to come clean about all of this. It was triggering for him to see his friend like this.

Orihime watched him go down the stairs and sighed. “Let’s hear it, then, Shu.” she said as she looked back at him. “We can eat and talk.”

***

It was Sunday morning. Mila Rose smiled at her camera. She waved a hand before she started talking. “Hello from San Francisco, everyone, and welcome back! Today we have a juicy bit of gossip and it involves the gossip queen herself. Rangiku Matsumoto was seen having an intense conversation with an anonymous man in a shoe store. We have pictures, audio, and video of part of the conversation. It seemed like it was bordering on a fight between the two. Also, it should be noted that it looks like Matsumoto didn’t bother to put on makeup today. Usually the _It’sRan!_ star looks perfect when she steps out of her Beverly Hills mansion. I do have to warn you, the language in the video is a bit extreme.

“So you want to talk to me. Where? Want to go to my place? Your place? A hotel?”

Mila paused the video. “It really sounds like Matsumoto is trying to either bait this guy or set up a booty call. He doesn’t seem interested though. The next clip you see will show you this guy isn’t having any of what she is serving.”

“How about coffee. Clearly if we want to understand each other at all there needs to be some grown-up conversing going on.” 

“Why? What’s the point? You don’t want me. I was probably just a booty call. That’s all I am to people. Boobs and a body. No one cares about--You know what? Whatever. No one cares.”

Mila smiled sweetly at the camera. “Poor Rangiku.”

“Shut up. You can’t expect to act like a bitch to everyone who attempts to get to know you and then get offended when they don’t want to jump through hoops and kiss your ass after you’ve pissed them off. You ditched me. Not the other way around. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. I offered. The offer is on the table. But I’m not playing these head games with you or anyone else, Ran. I’m too old for that shit. Call me if you change your mind.”

“Eyewitnesses say that the man left, followed by Matsumoto who made a phone call with it ending in harsh words. Who is this mysterious man? I also have footage of Rangiku with the same man sneaking around a house which I can show, but I can’t show the pictures I have of her and her anonymous lover from the next morning. Let’s just say, the guy really did a number on her neck. Let me know what you guys think, was this a booty call or a soured romance?”

***

“Fuckin’— Ulquiorra!!!” Shuhei roared. He knew, as soon as he saw the video that Isane had forwarded to him, who had provided that skank up in SanFran the video and pictures from the romp at the Cifer residence. He was seeing red. How could Ulquiorra do this to him?

The green-eyed man was sitting in his office downstairs when he heard the yelling. Fuck. He had emailed Mila Rose to pull the plug on this whole thing, not pull the trigger. There was no way he was going to move into the vicinity of the other man. But he was so fucked if Orihime had seen this. He was so fucking fucked. “What?” He yelled back.

Shuhei stood at the door of the office and yanked it open. “What the fuck! You took pictures of us? We were naked! Are you some kind of pervert?”

Yeah, he was fucked. “What? No! I saw an opportunity to begin my revenge against Ran. I took photos of her neck and face. It wasn’t like I got the money shot or anything.”

“Ha! Yeah right. If that was the case what was stopping your slut in SanFran from showing the pictures? How many did you take? Did you just focus on her or did you snag a dick pic, too?”

“Two. I took two. One full body shot of you two and the picture of her face. I made sure to blur out your face before I sent it,” Ulquiorra answered. “Why the fuck would I take a dick pic? Mila isn’t my slut. I’ve only had sex with one woman and I’m married to her.”

“Okay, then, how do you justify spending the night in town with her and giving her a  _ private  _ interview? You don’t give interviews when you’re having an anxiety attack. You don’t lie to your fucking wife when you’re not doing anything wrong, either,” Shuhei growled at the seated man. What an asshole. Ulquiorra was right. Everyone in this town was a loser except Orihime.

Ulquiorra scowled. Had Shuhei figured out what happened? No. That bitch had said something. “First off, I do not like what you are insinuating. I do not give interviews at all. I stopped there due to the panic attack and the fact I was tired. Just because your slut said it doesn’t make it true. I asked Mila to not run the story because of you being hurt because Rangiku used you.”

Shuhei didn’t know what to believe anymore. He suspected all of them were lying. All he knew was he was fucking furious. “You better fucking not be lying to me. Because I will not hesitate…” he trailed off. He didn’t want to say something he couldn’t take back in the heat of the moment. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Ulquiorra and said in a quiet, deadly tone, “If you hurt her again and I have to help pick up the pieces, I will not let you have her back. Not this time.” He turned around and slammed the door of the office. He had to get out of the house. Maybe Ivan was home.

As soon as there was a barrier between him and Shuhei, Ulquiorra let himself break down. He believed the man and his words. He didn’t know how to fix this and he knew if he didn’t come clean, Orihime would probably leave him or slap him with a divorce. Ulquiorra had invested so much of himself in Orihime that his life revolved around her. He swallowed. He knew he should have stayed away from the gossiping whores. He thought he could be smart about this. He should have known.

Might as well do this.

-I need to talk to you, Woman.

***

Someone—no, not someone—Ulquiorra Cifer had to have sent that video and pictures. Seeing herself asleep on Shuhei’s chest made that knife in her chest twist. Hearing how angry they had been made it twist. Thinking about him made it twist. Rangiku was kind of glad that she had changed her number. Only three people had sent her the message about this. 

Gin:

My my darling, you’ve been busy. ;)

Shinji:

He’s fit. And broad. And hot. Is he bi?

Robert:

Way to make yourself relevant. See you on Thursday.

Rangiku looked at each text, her mouth trembling. She wanted to talk to Shuhei. She couldn’t, though. There had to be some legal ground for her on this. This had to be a violation of privacy or something.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the image of herself sleeping. She looked peaceful and at ease. 

Rangiku had let her guard down and this is what happened. There was no one around to comfort her, though. She had to pick up the pieces herself.

***

Orihime got Ulquiorra’s text as she waited for the dogs’ appointment with the groomers to be finished. She was blissfully unaware of what was going on when she responded,

  * OK. What about? :) I’ll be home in about half an hour.



Ulquiorra sighed.

-not a text based conversation to have. In person. 

Orihime frowned at that. It sounded ominous. She remembered other conversations with Ulquiorra that began in the same way. None of them ended well.

Orihime took a deep breath. It was probably something to do with Shuhei this time. They had talked yesterday after dinner and he told her how hearing Shu talk about Ran made him feel and how this was taking a toll on him. Maybe he wanted to talk about that more. She nodded to herself. It had to be that.

***

Shuhei didn’t call. He drove over to Ichigo’s house. But when he got to the gate, it was Grimmjow who answered.

“Yeah? Who are you?” Grimmjow barked into his phone. He had made sure their security thing was on his phone. He could see every camera view from his basement domain. 

“It’s Shu Hisagi. Ulquiorra’s houseguest. Is Ichigo home?”

“Maybe. He might be busy with the missus.”

Shit. “Actually, do you have some time? I’d like to talk to you.”

Grimmjow’s brows rose then he scowled. This was the guy living with the Cifers? Then it dawned on him where he had just seen Shu. “Oh shit. You’re the guy in the video…You wanna talk to me? I mean I guess, man, but I’m no Doctor Phil.”

The gate buzzed and then opened.

Shuhei pulled into the driveway and walked up to the door and knocked.

Grimmjow just got to the top of the stairs when the knock came. He walked over to the double doors and opened one side. “C’mon in,” he said.

“Hi. Sorry to bother you. I just have some questions,” the dark-haired man asked a bit uncomfortably.

“It’s not a bother. Come into the kitchen,” Grimmjow said and turned towards the said room. “What brings you by today? Besides talking to my worst half?”

“Well,” Shu took a deep breath. “I have some questions about Ulquiorra. Have you noticed him acting suspiciously lately?”

Grimmjow snorted. “You mean how he’s always on his phone and hides the screen when someone is around? Or how he just randomly took off in Oregon? Maybe. We aren’t exactly friends though,” he said. “You gotta problem with him?”

“Depends. So he took off randomly? He said you picked a fight with him and was on the verge of being arrested.”

“I did pick a fight with him,” Grimmjow said. He opened the refrigerator and got out a bottle of water and handed it to Shuhei before grabbing his own. “He’s been obsessed with fucking over Matsumoto. I was getting tired of it and told him to go fuck her. He complained. Then went on about how Orihime wants babies because we knocked up Hails. So I told him if he didn’t want kids, Ivan was more than willing to do the job. Of course, you might also, huh?” The blue-haired man smirked for a moment.

Shuhei felt his stomach drop as he listened to Grimmjow. “Do you think he would -or did- fuck Matsumoto?”

“I’m sorry, have you met Ulquiorra Cifer? He only has eyes for one woman. Why, you worried about it? Did the news this morning have any truth to it?” Grimmjow asked before taking a sip of water.

“One more question before I tell you. Has he ever made side trips while on tour? Specifically to San Francisco? Sorry one more, has he ever mentioned a Mila Rose?”

“Nah, he sticks around the hotel and pretty much to himself,” Grimmjow said, scratching the side of his face. “Mila Rose? He might have mentioned her. Said she was going to help him take down Matsumoto; that Mila knew Rangiku.”

Shuhei frowned. “I ask because he always says he loves Hime and he never looks at anyone else, but we both know that is not true. He kept breaking her heart over that crazy bitch in Ohio. Who’s to say he wouldn’t do it again?”

He had to be talking about Nel. “Dude, she’s been behind bars for almost two years now. You don’t know Nel. I’ve stuck my dick in her once. That was enough to know I didn’t want to do it again. She kept talking about him like she was obsessed. I don’t know his side of the story in that but it’s none of my business. It didn’t affect me.”

“I’m not suggesting he’s with her again. I’m saying that if he cheats on Orihime once, what’s to stop him from doing it again with someone else? From all accounts he was totally focused on Orihime when they went to OSU, but he was carrying on with Nel the entire time. Sneaking around on his phone. Constantly texting her. And you don’t have to tell me Nel’s crazy, I do know her. I know her very well and how crazy she is, first-hand.”

This guy. Grimmjow shook his head. “Are you worried about Ulq and Hime’s relationship because the moment it shows a crack you’re gonna take a sledgehammer to it or are you worried about something else? I can tell you why he wouldn’t do it again. I know why he wouldn’t cheat on Orihime. The dumb fuck doesn’t have a prenup. He said he loved Orihime enough not to have one. If he cheats, it’s over, and he knows that from the first time.”

“You either have way too much faith in him or way too little. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Orihime pulls bank too. If they divorced, they’d be taking half of a huge pile and probably wouldn’t miss anything. It’s possible that she’s making more. She’s been writing songs on the side for other acts. The royalties are cushy. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. If the only reason he wouldn’t cheat is because of money then he doesn’t deserve her. I watched her fall apart in Ohio. I see her stressing about it now. I don’t know if she would survive being betrayed by him again. I’m really worried,” he pressed his lips together and covered his eyes, feeling emotional. This was not supposed to happen. It was his motherfucking birthday.

“That’s only what I think. My hot take on the situation. I think Ulq’s dumb for getting married. I think Hime is an idiot for taking him back. He loves her, just like I love Ichi and Hails. Ulq could care less about money. He only wants that woman in his life,” Grimmjow said. “You’ve still got feelings for Orihime?”

“No. I don’t know. Not really. I care about her but I’m over it. She hurt my pride pretty bad. I couldn’t see her the same way after that. But she’s a really good person and she saved me and I would do anything to repay her. Well, not anything, but a lot.”

Grimmjow nodded. “Hime is pretty awesome. She can be a bitch, though. Ulq deserves it at times. So what’s with you and Matsumoto? You’re the guy in the video right? That sixty-nine tattoo is recognizable.”

“Yeah. We had three nights together. Then she decided she liked Gin Ichimaru’s dick better. I don’t know why she has such a wild hair up her ass. We barely even knew each other and she’s acting like I did her wrong. She’s the one who broke it off, not me.” Shuhei sighed heavily and sat down at a stool. “Shit. I am stressed.”

Grimmjow laughed, tears coming to his eyes. “Ichimaru has about five other women he fucks at Espada. Rangiku is not one of them. I’d hate to be in your shoes, you know, but then again you’re a lucky son of a bitch. She has a nice body.”

“Yeah, and she goes down like it’s her job,” he muttered in an absent voice as Grimmjow’s words conjured up the image of Ran’s body. 

Shit. He hadn’t meant to say that.

Shit. He hadn’t meant to think that.

Another sigh. “I’m willing to bet she knows and doesn’t care about the other chicks. Gin is probably generous.”

“I’d like to find out one day, but gotta run it past the lady and the dumb ass. You got her number?”

Shuhei gave the blue-haired man a withering expression and said, “Of course I do, but I’m not passing it out.”

Grimmjow laughed and shook his head. “I could probably get it if I offered to give her an interview.”

“Go for it. Maybe you can ask her what her problem is with me.”


	23. Chapter 23

Orihime got home with the dogs as promised and looked around the house for Ulquiorra after she let them out. She did not immediately find him, and resorted to calling out for him. “Ulquiorra?!”

He sighed and came up the stairs. He’d been hiding in his office, wondering what he was going to say to her. Ulquiorra didn’t know how this was going to go. Orihime was probably going to get pissed off at him. She was gonna be hurt. He looked shattered as he saw Orihime. “Hey,” he said quietly.

Her brows tented in worry as she rushed to him. “Oh no, honey, what happened? Are you alright?”

Shaking his head, Ulquiorra walked closer to her. “No. I lied to you.”

Her brows came down. “What about?”

“You know I have this issue with Matsumoto. I had some vlogger contact me. I think I told you this already. I met up with Mila Rose and gave her the pictures I took of Shu and Rangiku. I gave her the videos that she showed in the thing she posted today,” Ulquiorra said. His voice was quiet and he looked at Orihime as he spoke. “I didn’t want you to be mad at me for giving that stuff to her to expose Rangiku.”

She sighed and shook her head at him. “I’m not happy about it. I told you to leave it alone. But that can’t be why you’re this upset, can it?”

He reached out and took Orihime’s hands and looked down at them. “I stopped in San Francisco to talk to her,” he replied. “Did you see the video this morning?”

She gave him a confused frown. “No, what video?”

Ulquiorra brought his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. He brought up YouTube and selected the number one trending video and then handed the phone to her.

Orihime watched, totally confused. This was all about Ran and Shu. Then this Mila, a good looking woman who was pure California: darkly tanned skin, light brown hair and light green eyes; about Rangiku’s age, told the viewers about the photos her source provided.

She looked at her husband and asked, “Did you take nude pictures of them?”

“Yes.”

“Do you still have them?”

“They’re on my phone,” he replied. “I sent her edited ones with Shu’s face blurred out. I told her not to do this and she did it anyway.”

Orihime’s shoulders slumped and she looked at him with disappointment written all over her face. “Of course she did. It’s her job. Just like it was Ran’s job. This gossip lady is the same as her. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t expose you for providing the pictures. And why do you still have them? Enjoy looking at them?”

“What? No!” Ulquiorra said. “No. God no. I have them because if this went the way it should have gone, I was gonna rib Shuhei with them, but now he’s fucking hurt and threatening to take you away from me. It’s all because Matsumoto snubbed him and he can’t deal with it.”

“You are as crazy about Shu as she is. Did you hear her? She sounds like she’s in love with him. They barely know each other. She doesn’t listen to a word he says. She keeps telling him how he feels instead of listening to what he’s trying to tell her. I think he’s dealing with it just fine.” She took a deep breath. “Besides, why would he threaten to take me away from you?”

Ulquiorra cleared his throat. “Orihime think back to us before the marital bliss. I was in love with you but told you how you felt about me. You told me how I felt about you. Remember the airport parking garage?” He paused for a moment. “Shuhei says if I hurt you again and he has to pick up the pieces, he’s not going to let me have you back. He thinks I cheated on you.”

She still wasn’t putting the pieces together. “Why would he think that? Why are you worried about it if you didn’t?” His round about way of explaining was starting to plant doubt in her mind.

“He thinks that because his bitch said it. She said that I was having a fling and in the same video she said you were sleeping with Shu. I would never cheat on you. You’re my world. I’m not worried about it. It’s just I’m scared you’d be hurt that I lied and leave me because I’ve been acting weird since he moved in.” He sounded desperate.

“Is she the one you’re always on the phone with and try to hide it when I come into the room?” Her tone was guarded.

“Yeah, not so much anymore but when I hatched this plan she was the one I was texting. She’s… She’s a...” Ulquiorra didn’t want to say it. Orihime would probably go ballistic.

“Tell me, Ulquiorra.” 

“She’s a former porn star.”

Orihime grimaced. “And this is relevant because…?”

Ulquiorra sighed. He was stressing out about this for nothing probably. He had come clean and his wife hadn’t stumbled onto the information. “I’m telling you now so you don’t go digging up everything you can on her and find out?”

Orihime nodded. “I’m still gonna need to see those text messages.”

“Text messages? Oh...Okay.” He unlocked his phone and handed Orihime the device. He knew it wasn’t gonna be pretty.

She took it and walked into the spare bedroom upstairs next to Shuhei’s. She hoped it would be fine, but just in case it wasn’t, she wanted to be able to hide.

When the door shut, Ulquiorra sat on the bench in the hallway and rested his head against the wall. All he could do is wait; Orihime probably needed the privacy.

Before she even opened his phone’s messages, she sat in that room and went over their conversation in her head a few times. There were a couple things that slipped past her notice the first time. She went to the desk in that room, took out a pad of note paper and a pencil and wrote a list:

  1. Who took the video of Shu/Ran in the shoe store?
  2. Where did you meet that gossiper in SF?
  3. Why did you think you would get away with this?
  4. Why did you want to hide it from me?



She left number five blank. She would probably be adding to this list as she read through the text messages.

_Hey OIV, It’s Mila Rose. You said I could contact you this way. I want to take down Matsumoto as much as you. That bitch took my livelihood away from me._

_Hey Ulq, MR here! So did you think of anything? LMK. I really want to hear your ideas on this._

_Ulq Babe! I like your idea but it seems kind of cruel to have your house guest sleep with her. Nasty. Make sure you wash the sheets._

_Babe, I need pics of this hookup if I’m gonna reveal it. I need to have proof. LMK when you get some._

_Ulq!!! Dude. Please you’re killing me. I need to see these pics. I mean I’ve seen her naked before. We were together. ;) Is the dude good looking? Also security footage? I’m down._

_It was great taking up your time. Thnks for the coffee, babe. ;) I’ll put these to good use if you know what I mean. Also that porn we were in… It’s not worth watching. I know. I was in it._

_Ulq, what do you mean stop? We are on this train together to wreck Matsumoto’s life. There isn’t no way to stop. There is no getting off. We started this and we have to finish it._

_I don’t care about any feelings getting hurt. I stalked the bitch all day yesterday. I saw my time to shine and I took it. I did get the guy’s name. Shuhei… As in Shuhei Hisagi? Your roommate? Can I get those pics unblurred?_

There weren’t that many. They weren’t that bad. Ulquiorra’s responses were short and sweet. Even the other woman’s use of the name “Babe”, a name that she used for him, didn’t bother her because it seemed like something the woman just peppered into her speech. She referred back to her list. The first one was answered by the texts; Mila took the video. She could cross it out. The second one was also kind of answered, they had coffee… Still she needed clarification on that one. The third and fourth questions remained. She added a fifth:

  1. If you thought there was a possibility that I would get upset enough to leave you, why would you even consider doing it?



Then, while she was at it, she went into his pictures. She saw Rangiku and felt a pang of jealousy. She looked gorgeous. Ulquiorra had seen her that way. He had kept this picture on his phone. She glanced at Shuhei. As expected he looked amazing. She’d seen him shirtless plenty of times. It was nothing new.

She decided to swipe through his photos some more, and then she paused. That wasn’t… That wasn’t her. That wasn’t Rangiku. That was that bitch on the video. In a bikini. With her tits sticking out all over the place. Saved in his motherfucking pictures.

If she found Nel on here she was going to burn this motherfucking house down. She was relieved to find nothing from that woman. 

She sat in the room for another several minutes, trying to remember what her old therapist told her when she was reacting with panic. Think. Think. Don’t just react. What are you feeling?

Terrified.

She couldn’t do this. She had to talk to him. She opened the door and looked at him, hoping that she was wrong. Hoping that it was just a mistake. Hoping that he hadn’t strung her along again while screwing around with someone else, lying to her about loving her and… And…

She lost it. She took one step out of the guest room and leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit in the hallway, and fell apart.

Ulquiorra was at her side in an instant. “I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have kept it from you, but I know my obsession with Matsumoto wasn’t healthy and she’s your--well she was your friend. I could tell you were tired of me talking about it.”

She couldn’t talk or barely breathe. She passed him the notepad, though.

  1. ~~Who took the video of Shu/Ran in the shoe store?~~
  2. Where did you meet that gossiper in SF?
  3. Why did you think you would get away with this?
  4. Why did you want to hide it from me?
  5. If you thought there was a possibility that I would get upset enough to leave you, why would you even consider doing it?



Ulquiorra looked at the words on the paper and then looked at Orihime. “I met Mila at a twenty-four hour coffee place near the hotel I was staying at. We talked for a couple of hours. She told me what she knew about Rangiku. She told me what she had done to her.”

He looked at the next item. “I didn’t think I would get away with it. I thought I could make Matsumoto’s ivory tower crumble and show you what a horrible person she is and you wouldn’t care what I did to do it.” Ulquiorra could feel Orihime’s sobs right in his heart. He was a fucking asshole. A stupid fucking asshole. “I’m an idiot. I should have included you in this, but I knew you’d be against it.”

He looked at the question labeled 4 and sighed. “Orihime, you’re not the bad guy in Los Angeles. People refer to me as infamous. I’m the villain. I’m the bad guy. I hid it from you so you wouldn’t tarnish your name.”

A sigh ran through him. “Can I ask a question before I answer the last one?”

She nodded, although she doubted she would be able to answer him.

“Are you going to leave me?”

She shrugged and tapped on his phone screen, bringing up the picture of Mila Rose and showing him. “Are you going to leave me?” she whispered harshly.

“No, never. I would never leave you again. I promised you that a while ago, Orihime. She sent that photo before we met. I meant to delete it but I’ve been so focused on my revenge plan,” Ulquiorra replied. “I don’t even find her attractive. She’s… Brash and outspoken.”

“So was Nel. You liked fucking her face enough. Am I still not enough for you?” she sobbed. She couldn’t stop the rain of self-doubt and the pain she had experienced before from bubbling to the surface and overwhelming her.

Ulquiorra sat beside her and put his head in his hands. He knew he was screwed. She was going to leave him. Shuhei would take his place. The idea of this tore a sob through his chest and he tried to choke it back. It didn’t work. He didn’t know how to fix this. He was so screwed up that his need to destroy another person had come between him and his bond to his wife. “I’m sorry... You are enough... You’re more than enough… I was blinded... by my need for justice... against that blonde bitch. I’m sorry Orihime,” he stuttered out in between sobs.

His display of emotion seemed sincere. It gave her hope that he meant what he was saying. The shared pain that they were feeling felt like it was burning an excruciating path back towards them being real with each other.

But that thought right there reminded her that he hadn’t been real with her. That he thought it was okay to be dishonest and sneaky. It reminded her that nothing could be real between them if he wasn’t able to trust her enough to be honest with her. She sniffed hard and took a deep breath, wiping her nose off on the back of her hand, not caring if it was disgusting. She laid her face on her knees, which she had bent up. Still sputtering and crying, she said, “I think we need to go to couple’s counseling.”

“Okay. We can. I’ve tried to work through my issues with Soifon. I can talk to someone else. Do you want to--Are you going--” Ulquiorra was still crying; his eyes were red and he kept sniffling. He couldn’t get out the question. He needed to know if she was leaving him… even if it was for a couple of days. 

Her head felt so heavy. He looked so pathetic. Didn’t he know that he was her heart? That she couldn’t bear the thought of living without him? She didn’t answer his non-question. She ducked her head into his chest and crawled into his lap, letting her arms loosely wrap around his torso. She just needed to reassure herself that he was still here. He hadn’t left her again. Not yet, anyway.

“I’m so sorry, Woman. I’m deeply sorry. I--” Ulquiorra shut up and put his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “I promised you I would never leave. I won’t ever leave.”

At his words she grew anxious and desperate, clinging to hope. “Say it again. Please. Please,” she whimpered as she held more and more tightly.

Ulquiorra took a deep breath. It was shaky but he took it. “I love you, Orihime Cifer. I won’t ever leave you. Never again.”

Orihime needed more. “Tell me. Tell me that you love me.”

“I love you. I love your eyes when they look at me. I love your smile. I love your laugh. I love your hands and the way you touch my face with them. I love your body. I fell in love with you when you were words on a screen. I fell deeper in love with you when I physically met you. I will love you until I die,” Ulquiorra told her in a whisper. This was the truth for him. “I need you, Woman. I need you more than you need me.”

“No. I can’t live without you. Please. Please please please please please never ever ever leave.” It was always the same thing with her. Clearly she had some deep abandonment issues.

He brought Orihime’s head up and he kissed her. He kissed her deeply, his tongue probing her mouth, seeking entrance. When his lungs burned, he pulled back to stare at his wife. “As long as I’m of sound mind and body, I won’t leave you.”

She looked into his eyes for a long time after he said that. She felt better, but she still thought the couple’s counseling was probably the right thing for them. She thought these thoughts until they trailed off and she got lost in his eyes. His beautiful, now red and green eyes. She could look at them forever. “I love you. Whatever happens, I love you.”

***

Shuhei parked his car in its usual spot at home and then decided to take a walk around the block to think. He had been accused by more than one person about still having feelings for Orihime, and for waiting around for Ulquiorra to fuck up so he could swoop in. But it wasn’t true! He was happy for Orihime. His time with Momo had been enough for everything that had happened between him and the redhead to be water under the bridge.

So why was everyone so sure that they knew what he was feeling better than he did?

He sighed, remembering what he said to Ulquiorra that morning. People probably thought the way they did about him because he said shit like that. But it wasn’t true. He didn’t want Orihime and Ulquiorra to break up. He liked them being his “mom and dad” friends. He just didn’t always like how Ulquiorra treated his “mom”. 

Then there was the thing that Grimmjow said about Ivan being happy to knock her up. He wondered if there was any truth to that. He and Ichigo hung out semi-regularly and he had never made any comments about Orihime that would lead him to believe that the orange-haired pianist wanted to screw Mrs. Cifer. Why would anyone assume that he would? Maybe the answer to that question would help him understand why people thought the same thing about him.

Maybe not.

When the house came back into view, he felt another pull at his guts. This was the same scene he had seen in the video that morning; the darkened grounds, the studio around the back. In his mind’s eye he could see that suede green sofa with the claw marks in it. He could see the woman with the love bites all over her neck. Fuck.

The way he felt about Rangiku Matsumoto was fundamentally different from the way he felt about Orihime Cifer. He felt at home with Orihime. He felt that she knew him for his strengths and weaknesses, and cared for him in spite of them. 

With Rangiku, things had never had a chance to get close to that level of familiarity. Sure, he talked about being a nobody and humbled himself, but that was part of his personality. It was part of how he ingratiated himself to people. He had only had a chance to show Rangiku his charming, flirtatious side. She didn’t know him. He didn’t know her. So why was she acting so upset about breaking ties with him?

Why was he still thinking about it?

Well, apart from the obvious with the video, he wasn’t sure. Yeah, he was horny as fuck for her, but it wasn’t just that. He liked her. She could be sweet. She could be funny. In the short time that they were together, she had made him very happy. Did that mean that he had feelings for her?

He still wasn’t convinced. Certainly he had been on the way to catching feelings for her. He was crushing hard on her. If she hadn’t split on him, they would probably be on their way toward a relationship. Maybe it wasn’t just her he was fixated on, but the what ifs.

Probably.

But then there was the side of Rangiku that was coming out lately that he really did not care for. The neurotic projection and lashing out at her friends. If Orihime wasn’t safe from Rangiku Matsumoto, probably no one was. 

He took a deep breath and opened the door, walking into the house. It was dark except for the light from the television in the living room. “Hello?” he called out.

Ulquiorra heard the door. He carefully laid Orihime’s head on the couch cushion before he stood up. They had been wrapped around each other since their--well, he wasn’t sure what to call it. They didn’t have sex, though. They didn’t need it at that moment. They wanted to be together. To be close and just be. Ulquiorra knew he still looked like hell, so when he saw Shuhei in the hall he wouldn’t be surprised if the man was shocked. “Shhh, Orihime’s asleep. She’s been through a lot today.”

Shu looked at the man in front of him and felt an unexpected pang of sympathy. “What happened?” he asked, genuine concern in his tone.

“I told her everything. I came clean to her.”

“How did she take it?”

Ulquiorra shook his head a bit. He was tired of telling people his business, but Shuhei lived here too, and since he did, he had a right to know. “I, uh, she… We’ve decided to go to couple’s counseling. Obviously talking to Soifon isn’t working like it should.”

Shuhei raised his brows in surprise. “Wow, that’s uh, that’s good, right?”

The green eyed man nodded. “It means I have a lot of work to do to become the man she needs. What about you?”

“I, uh, talked to Grimmjow.”

He had to fight to keep the sneer off of his face. “Yeah?” Ulquiorra asked. “I bet that was productive.”

“Actually, he helped me see a couple of things clearly. Can we talk? I mean, do you have a couple of minutes and are you up to it?”

“Do you want a beer?” Ulquiorra asked and walked into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle. “We can talk. You deserve answers from me since I basically just fucked up your life.”

He hadn’t thought about it in that light. He shook his head and huffed out a laugh. “Well, you did dick me around but my life isn’t fucked. I’d love a beer. Do you want to talk outside so we don’t wake her up?” he asked, looking over at Orihime now that he could see her. She looked so tiny when she was asleep.

Ulquiorra nodded and grabbed a second beer for Shuhei. “C’mon, let’s sit down by the pool.”

Shu followed him out and sat in a deck chair, opened his beer and took a drink, looking out at the view of the hillside leading down to the water. “So, this might be a roundabout way of getting to my point, but trust me?” He didn’t wait for Ulquiorra to agree. “First of all, I’m sorry about saying what I said this morning. I was pissed off about what you did and I just wanted to hurt you.”

“Valid. I told Mila Rose not to do this. She did it anyway because she was stalking Ran yesterday. She said it was her time to shine. I’m sorry that I did what I did,” Ulquiorra said as he took a drink from the bottle. “It was just supposed to be a booty call right? Orihime watched it.”

“The video?” he wasn’t sure if he meant that or him fucking Rangiku.

“The Mila Rose video. She’s seen the photos. She looked through my entire phone.”

“Yikes. You didn’t have anything else bad on it, did you?”

Ulquiorra shrugged. “Define bad, because there’s a picture of some Bay City vlogger with her tits practically out on it. Do you want the photos?”

“No. I mean, maybe. Email them to me. I don’t want them on my phone.” He paused, this wasn’t exactly the direction he was hoping to take this conversation. He needed to refocus. “Do you think Ichigo wants to fuck your wife?”

The other man shook his head. “Not unless he wants to die. He can try, but I’m going to make sure that’s the last thing he does. Why? What did Grimmjow say?”

“You didn’t answer my question. Do you really think that he wants to?”

“No, I don’t. He’s too in love with his partners. I see how he looks at Grimmjow. I see how he is with Hailey,” Ulquiorra replied. “Why?”

“Do you really think I want to…” he felt awkward saying fuck given the mood of the conversation. “Do you really think I want to take your place with Orihime?”

For a moment Ulquiorra didn’t answer. He put the bottle to his lips and took a long drink and stared up at the darkened sky. “You did at one point in time, Shu. You know you did. Do I think that now? I’m not sure. You stood in me and my wife’s house and told me if I hurt her you wouldn’t let me have her back.”

Shuhei sighed. “Yeah, that was a bold move, wasn’t it?” He took another drink of his beer. “The truth is, I like you guys together when you’re happy. I want you guys to be happy. But she saved me when I had nothing. In Ohio and in Iowa. I feel like I owe her a lot. If I can prevent her from getting hurt, that’s what I want to do. I don’t want to fuck your wife, though.”

“Good. Orihime made a point to me today. How many times have you watched that video?” Ulquiorra asked, turning his gaze on Shuhei.

“Once. Why?”

“Orihime says that she, Rangiku, sounds like she’s in love with you. I barely knew Orihime, but I knew I loved her. What she did to you was the same thing I did to Orihime. She did the same thing to me. I tried to tell her that she didn’t love me. She said the same thing to me,” he huffed at the memory of himself telling his wife that. It wasn’t a pretty or a nice memory. “Matsumoto is closed off. I noticed that. Before you came along, she kind of had dead eyes. I’m not defending her or anything, but all of a sudden there was a spark in her eyes when I talked to her when she was in Espada Records. You were happier. You weren’t some emo dude, moping around.”

“That’s true. I was getting laid. She was being fun. I thought that if she gave me a chance that it could have gone somewhere. She did not, though. And it didn’t go anywhere. And I didn’t know then what I know about her now. You were right about her. She is vicious. You’re also right that she is unhappy. But the difference between Ran and me and you and Heemz is that you guys had history. Two years of online correspondence versus three days of fucking and then sayonara. Just sayin’. If she thinks she is in love with me then she must be desperate for it. She doesn’t even know me.”

“Mila Rose knows Rangiku. They were close. She told me things about her,” Ulquiorra said. He gave Shuhei a glance. “I can guarantee that Rangiku knows things about you. I can bet you something outrageous that she knows your dark secrets. You just have to figure out hers or how to get behind that wall. She looks pretty fucking… destroyed in that video. When she says that no one cares she means it. At least I think she means it. Did she make you happy?”

Shuhei took a long swig of his beer. “No. She never gave me a real chance. I knew she was fucking other people. We both knew it was a fun, temporary thing until Gin or whoever else she is fucking with more money or power caught wind of it. It was nice though. Like watching the sunset. Beautiful, brilliant, and over before you know it.”

He laughed. Ulquiorra laughed. Shu was probably sitting over there shocked but he didn’t care. “Oh boy. You are in for a treat. You want to know about Rangiku Matsumoto? Because I can tell you everything I know about her from 2015 to 2017. That’s how long Mila was in Ran’s life before shit went down.”

“Do I want to know?” Shu asked. He wasn’t sure he did. He was pretty comfortable just letting the blonde go as a footnote in his life story. It was probably the smart thing to do.

Ulquiorra stood up and slapped Shuhei on the shoulder. “C’mon let’s go to the studio. We can putz around in there… But, a question, my friend.”

“What?”

“Do you want your girl back, or you gonna let her get away too?” With that Ulquiorra started walking towards the studio.

“I would care if she was ever mine. She was not.” Ulquiorra seemed to have an opinion on his feelings for the blonde that Shuhei honestly could not say that he shared.

“Okay then,” he answered, giving a shrug. “You’re always gonna wonder what if, though, Shu.”

“Maybe. I have a lot of what-ifs, your wife included. Doesn’t mean I am going to bust my hump to change her mind.”

Ulquiorra kept walking. This guy was fucking clueless. Just damn clueless.


	24. Chapter 24

Rangiku looked at herself in the mirror a thousand times that morning. She looked grown up. She looked refined. She looked sophisticated. She was a nervous fucking wreck. Shinji was supposed to be there in fifteen minutes to pick her up. They would go to the building where E! Television Network was located and Robert would meet them there. The blonde turned from side to side judging her appearance. 

The black pencil dress was classy. The Louboutins on her feet were always a winner. She had put on a simple necklace and some small hoop earrings. She had studied what the other hosts on the network looked like and did her makeup with a subtle smoky eye and a nude lip. Her contour was on point and she opted to go with no highlighter. This was a job interview, not a Instagram post or a YouTube video. 

She let her hair fall into waves around her face and down her back. Maybe she should put it up. Giving a whine, she wished she had someone around to ask. Someone she was close to. Someone who would crowd her personal space and touch her gently--Fuck, she was not going to think about him. Not today. She needed to be centered. She needed to focus. 

Shuhei Hisagi was not a part of her life. He wasn’t. He said this was just a fling. It had been a thing. She still missed him. It wasn’t fair. Why had Orihime’s words affected her so? Why had she listened to the redhead? If she hadn’t just cut him out of her life, it would have been almost two weeks.

It wasn’t anything to start making wedding plans over, but it would have been a start. It would have been good. She should have never said anything about the nature of her relationship with Gin to the singer.

Rangiku had to wonder if he had tried to call her. Did he think about her? Did he cry over her or perform love sick songs to her? Probably not. Shu had seemed unaffected.

She saw how desperate she looked in the Mila Rose video. She had watched the video countless times to hear his words to her. He wanted her to be a grown up. Okay. She was being a grown up. She had changed her number. She was attempting to get a real job and drop Gin. 

Those were things grown ups did. They pushed their problems to the side and went on with life.

Shinji showed up on time and they arrived at the skyscraper. Robert looked severely disappointed when they walked in. Rangiku just smiled at him. “Robert, darling, It’s nice to see you.” She had to maintain an air of professionalism although his dick had been inside her.

“Rangiku. Who is your friend?”

“Oh this is Shinji. He helps out with _It’sRan!_ so I brought him along. Is that a problem?” she asked.

He huffed and said that it wasn’t an issue. Three hours later and a lot of negotiating, Rangiku had a tentative deal on the table. She had her presentation ready for these guys. Jugram Haschwalth listened as the blonde woman told him about her idea.

The Rumor Mill would be a late night talk show where she would address the rumors that dealt with these celebrities. She would interview them and ask questions that no one else would ask. It could be a small closed studio production with a podcast.

“So you want to do a Stern's show setup?“ Jugram asked. 

“Kind of. Except it would be just Shinji, the camera people, and me. No audiences to give tickets out to and low budget,” she said. Her smile faltered for a moment and she decided to add on, “Or I could take a few guests spots--”

“I like the idea. You could be the bitch everyone expects you to be. No screening questions, If someone walks out, they must have something to hide. You got ten episodes. That’s ten weeks. I’ll see what we can do on time slots.”

As soon as Jugo and his team left the conference room, Rangiku let out a little squeak and smiled at Shinji before hugging him, wrapping her arms around his neck “We did it!”

There was a noise behind her and Rangiku released her friend so she could turn around. Robert was standing there with his hands clasped in front of him. He had that glint in his eyes. She had to turn back to Shinji. “Shin, thank you so much for this. If you want, you can head back. I’m gonna catch a ride with Robert.”

Catch a ride. Ha.

That man couldn’t fuck worth a damn. She cooed. She simpered. She faked it. She left the motel room feeling sick again. She couldn’t let this hold her down, though. She could do this. She would do this. She took a picture of herself out and about in downtown Los Angeles.

Rangiku uploaded it to Instagram.

_Itsrangiku posted:_ _  
_ _Time to be a #grownup and head out on my own. The Rumor Mill will be live soon._

She added a bunch of hashtags that she knew would get attention and sighed. As soon as she got paid for her first shows, she could let Gin go.

***

Shuhei was blown away by what Ulquiorra had told him in the studio that night nearly a week ago. He had been thinking about it the entire time he was recording that week. It was no wonder Rangiku was so fucked up. She had followed a path of heartbreak and pain. It made him a bit more sympathetic toward her.

A bit.

She still had made many of those choices on her own. While he didn’t feel morally superior to her for the means by which she got ahead in life, they were still her own choices. That she was facing the consequences of those choices was to be expected. 

There were some things, though, that had not been her choice. She had known, and even dated, Aizen. However, Aizen had not been kind to her. Aizen had taken from her without asking. Ulquiorra was not told the details, but Shuhei knew enough about the man from the public facts of his trial for the crimes against Orihime to know that whatever he took from Rangiku could not have been taken kindly and would definitely scar the woman.

He felt sorry for her for that.

He did not feel sorry for her for sleeping her way to get ahead. That was a choice she made. There were other ways to get ahead. Sure, they were not as fast or glamorous, but they were there. If she faked her way to the top by using people then it only stood to reason that she would be standing at the top alone. If he hadn’t been involved with her, he wouldn’t care. As a friend, he wouldn’t have held it against her.

But as a lover? He felt used by her. That was the biggest thing in the way of remembering his time with Rangiku in a sentimental way, the way she apparently did; the way Ulquiorra apparently did.

Orihime seemed to see it the same way he did. He wondered why that was. She probably knew how it felt to be used. But there was something else. Something she knew about Rangiku that no one else seemed to know. Maybe the women had swapped secrets. Who knows; no one was talking.

Thinking of secrecy reminded him how much he was looking forward to shedding his. He was never much for mystery or intrigue, and this whole keeping his contract and tour a secret was wearing on him. He had less than one week of recording left. Then he had a week off before tour rehearsals started. It wouldn’t be everyday. He’d work with Orihime a few times a week and with a backup band Soul Society was putting together for him in the meantime. 

He was excited to learn that Ichigo was going on this tour with Orihime. He was dying to talk to the guy about it, but was informed that he wasn’t allowed to tell him, either. Apparently the pianist was not great at keeping secrets. Shu wanted to ask him to play with him, too, but it was not going to happen.

He was getting anxious. He needed to do something big. Something exciting. Something unrelated to everything else that was going on.

Maybe not totally unrelated. Kirio had asked him to start practicing using his make-up to cover up his tattoos. He would have one more laser appointment before the tour started but the tattoos would still be there, so she insisted that he start using it regularly and get used to wearing it all the time. Maybe since he was a nobody, he could take pictures of himself and throw them up on Instagram for his mom to see. Maybe for Kira and those losers down at Occhi Verdi and Yumi Confections. They didn’t want the shop named after Ulquiorra after Jon was out. Little did they know, Orihime informed him later, that it was the coffee shop that was named after the prick, not the bakery.

Maybe Momo would see. Yeah, there was a small, petty part of him that wanted to rub it in her face that he was just fine without her. She had pushed him around and trampled on his self esteem for long enough. Time for a glow up, as the ladies were calling them these days.

So that evening after he came home, he asked Orihime to help him out. He even asked Ulquiorra; the dude was into eyeliner anyway. They got the makeup on right. They styled his hair and picked out an outfit. They did a mini photoshoot in the backyard. Him with King, looking all basic and cute. One with him and Ulquiorra jamming air guitar in the studio. One with Orihime lounging on the side of the pool in her red bikini and him skimming it out like some kind of domestic servant. They really got into it and got goofier and goofier as the evening progressed. Most of these pictures were going absolutely nowhere. They were for fun.

In the end, the trio sat around the kitchen island sipping on some weak margaritas that they had poured for props, and selected three of the pictures. The one of Shu and King. The one of Ulq and Shu playing guitar. The one of Shuhei leaning against the fence at the back of the property with the ocean behind him, looking off in the distance somewhere. He put the post together and tagged everyone he knew in it. It wasn’t a large group of people. He tagged it, _#meandmybuddy #sorrykira #bernesemtndog #glamorshotslol #cifandshu #sorrynotsorry #occhiverdi4life._

He wanted to tag it #eatshitanddiemomo, but Orihime talked him out of it.

He called his mom and told her how to download and install Instagram on her phone. She asked him where he learned how. He told her it was that girl he was seeing earlier this month. She asked what happened, and he told her that nothing happened. He was seeing her and now she’s seeing someone else. Probably. He didn’t know because she won’t talk. 

“Well, if you run into her again, tell her she doesn’t know what she’s missing!”

“Oh, I will, Ma. Trust me,” he replied. “Love you.”

***

Going through her Instagram feed the next morning while she ate her Nutella toast, Rangiku almost choked when she saw Shuhei face there. He tagged ObscurasIV. He… He looked damn good. He was still hot… He had no face tattoos. 

_What the hell_?

He had an Instagram account. She knew that he had followed her but she hadn’t been able to find it. So many people followed her every day. How could she have missed that.

He’d probably freak out when he got the notification but she followed him. _ItsShuhei_. Jesus.

She liked his photo and left a thumbs up on the post as a comment before downloading each pic so that she could study them later. Much later… Like when she was in bed later.

Did she feel stupid for leaving a thumbs up?

Yes.

It would look desperate if she left another comment. Her phone beeped. She had a DM, then again, Rangiku always had DMs.

**MoPeachCobblr** **  
**You’re that gossip youtuber right?  
You’ve been talking about Shuhei Hisagi.   
Want some real dirt on him?   
I used to be his fiancee until he left to go to Cali.

Rangiku raised an eyebrow and tapped on the profile. Her eyes went wide as she realized who had messaged her. This was Momo Hinamori. This was the ex. Shu had said it was his ex-girlfriend, not fiancee.

She scrolled through the woman’s pictures, staring at the man she had spent three days with and fell in love with. No! She had no feelings of love. Rangiku didn’t even know what that was. She was a masochist. She knew this. She enjoyed causing herself pain. That had to be the only reason she kept doing things like this.

In all the photographs of him and the tiny woman, Shu looked tired. He looked bored. He looked unhappy. She switched back to Shuhei’s account and looked at his face. He was happy. He looked alive. He had a spark in his eye. What had Momo done to him?

Rangiku went back to Momo’s pictures and continued to look through them until she found a photo of Shuhei and some guy with almost white blond hair. They looked good together. This was probably the Kira guy, and come to think of it, she had seen him before when Shu and Orihime were posting videos.

There were pics of Shuhei with an apron on and flour on his nose or streaked across his brow, hair pulled back and kept in check by a hairnet. He was laughing with other people. He was holding up a cake that he looked proud of. He was standing behind a coffee counter.

Rangiku noticed he looked happier when he was by himself or with anyone but Momo. Her heart ached for him to have been beaten down so by the woman. She wanted to reach out to him. She was almost done scrolling because Momo posted a lot of photos on Instagram when she saw it.

It was a photo of Shuhei sleeping. He was curled up on his side with his head cradled on his arm. She had seen this. Rangiku had seen him sleeping like that. It made her heart hurt again. Okay. She had feelings for him. She wanted a life with him. She wanted to give him a chance. 

God why had she been dumb? 

She swiped through a couple more photos when the blonde woman saw it. She saw Shuhei at his happiest. It made her eyes water as her blue eyes took in the sight of Shuhei and his mom. The same woman who had said hi to her and had heard about her from her son.

A bittersweet feeling rolled through her. She closed Instagram and brought up her text messages. Shit. She had blocked his number. She could message him on Instagram.

**ItsRangiku** **  
**Hey.  
I noticed you don’t have the face tattoos. :(   
I liked them. :) I liked your tattoos.   
Can we talk?

***

The next morning Shuhei went to the studio at Soul Society again and went through his day as usual. It wasn’t until his lunch with Orihime at a nearby cafe that anyone suggested he check Instagram again.

“You should see if anyone new is following you or if your friends have commented,” she said.

So he did. He was surprised at the amount of emoji responses he had received. He had some written comments. Kira had said, “looking good buddy. The dog has nicer hair than me lol jealous.”

His mom had commented too, saying, “You look so handsome, honey. Xoxo mom”. He smiled at that.

Ulquiorra commented, “I look amazing. You call that a guitar? Pfft.”

Orihime commented: “My son! My beautiful purebred son! Oh you look nice too, Shu.”

He looked across the table at her and offered a sarcastic laugh,

There were also direct messages. The first was from Momo. He did not want to open it. He did.

**MoPeachCobblr** **  
**Looks like you’re doing just fine.  
You’ll come crawling back, loser.   
You can’t function without this.

She had attached a picture of her naked crotch.

“Ugh! Got any bleach?” He asked, passing the phone to Orihime.

“Eeeew, I didn’t need to see that,” she said, closing the picture. Then she saw something else. “Shu?”

“Hmm?”

“Rangiku messaged you.”

His eyes widened as he took his phone back from Orihime, and he felt a nervous jolt in his belly as he tapped on her username to see what she had written.

Oh. Well. She liked the tattoos? Since when? But she wanted to talk. 

Something akin to hope fluttered in his chest. 

**Itsshuhei**

Name the date. The offer remains on the table. It’s good to hear from you, Ran. :)

He smiled at Orihime and set his shaking hands in his lap so that she wouldn’t see them. “Well, she says hi.”

***

Jugo, aka Mr. Haschwalth, gave Rangiku a list of people that the network was interested in having interviewed. She was looking at the list and making notes when her phone dinged. She ignored it for a moment as she finished making notes on the page she had written out for Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

She knew there was no way in hell the blue haired half of OIV would give her an interview. She looked at the other names on the list. Obscuras IV was on the list along with Vega Highwell. Both had stars by their names.

Priority interviews.

When she picked her phone up, she was surprised to see Shuhei had messaged her back. Name the date? Right now. No, she couldn’t tell him that. She would look desperate.

**Itsrangiku**

Are you busy tonight?

We could have dinner or something? 

If that’s too much pressure we can do coffee or something like that.

She bit her lip before setting her phone down. Her stomach was in knots. Why would he want to talk to her after she basically went crazy on him? She didn’t have time to think about it. Not right now. She had to finish her research.

The Rumor Mill would be filming the first episode in a couple of weeks. She needed to have everything ready and submit this potential guest list to Jugo.

***

Shuhei waited until Orihime went to the restroom to check the DM he heard come in. Wow. She wanted to see him so soon?

A flash of caution came to him. He had been a story to her, twice now. Maybe that’s what this was about.

Still, only one way to find out.

**ItsShuhei**

I can be in your neighborhood at about… seven? Any place you like to go to that would have some privacy to chat?

When Orihime got back to their table, he told her he would not be home for dinner.

***

From their latest little tiff in public, Rangiku knew that there was no way she would be willing to talk about anything serious with Shuhei. They had to be in the private place to get down to the root of whatever the issue was. 

She waited ninety minutes before she messaged him back. He was probably at work so she didn’t want to bother him that much. 

**ItsRangiku**

There’s a panini place close to my house

I know you don’t like the idea but could we talk at my place? 

With what mr posted I don’t trust having a conversation in public.

Lmk? 

Also, I apologize for cursing at you. 

You didn’t deserve that.

She held onto the phone wishing that those three dots would pop up. But they didn’t. 

Just as well. She had to start getting ready anyway. In reality she knew she could dress down and be herself with Shuhei, but she wanted to impress him. She wanted to dazzle him. She decided on a rather risque dress. 

***

**ItsShuhei**

Sounds good. Send me the address and I’ll be there at 7.

Okay. That was sorted. Oh shit.

**ItsShuhei**

I am not on board with your place but we’ll see how it goes.

Okay. Now it was sorted. He walked back into the studio. He was recording a cover of the song, “A Thousand Years”. _Great_. The song was making him feel things he probably did not need kicking around his head today.

***

He finished recording at Soul Society a bit early, but not early enough to do anything else, so he drove over to Sherman Oaks and waited in his car, looking through Rangiku’s Instagram. Damn, she was sexy. She was always dressed to attract attention. It made him a little sad. He hoped it was a means to garner an audience instead of fishing for validation. He sighed.

It wasn’t his business how she dressed or presented herself. She didn’t owe him anything.

Rangiku stepped out of her apartment building in the mini-dress with the cutout panel in the torso. It showed the bottom of her tits, which meant no bra. Was it too sleazy? Should she have changed into a nice sweater and skirt combo? Shuhei seemed to like girls that were more on the plain side rather than flashy. Momo was basic. That was all there was to it. She had taken some time to browse the woman’s Facebook again.

Relationship memes and stupid inspirational photos of how much she missed someone. It was just ugh. 

Since the dress was a bold move, she didn’t bother with dramatic makeup or shoes. She looked natural and glowy; her heels were only two inches high. It would put her at least at his eye level. 

Sending Shuhei another DM she told him to meet her at Pauli’s Paninis and then gave him the address. Since it was close by, she would walk.

When he saw her walking toward the panini place, he wasn’t sure it was her with the suggestive dress she was wearing. He shifted in his seat, willing his dick to behave. Did she have a date later? Well, again, it wasn’t his business. He got out of the car to wait for her as she walked up with a pleasant, calm expression. When she was close enough for him not to shout, he addressed her. “Hi Ran.” 

He had managed not to look her up and down.

“Hey,” she said with a smile on her face. Rangiku looked at Shuhei and she wasn’t being subtle as she checked him out. She wanted to greet him with a kiss because that’s how good he looked. She had to cool her hormones. She thought her little shower session would have been enough to take care of the arousal she felt when it came to him.

He opened the door to the place and stepped aside for her to enter. He couldn’t resist watching her ass as she passed him. She wouldn’t know anyway. “What’s good here?” He asked her as they walked toward the counter, eyes still glued to her backside.

Rangiku turned her upper body slightly to look at him. “I’m depends on what you like. I usually get their espresso and a fresh mozzarella and basil panini with the tomato on the side. Really anything here is good.”

“That sounds good,” he said, dragging his eyes up to hers. “Sounds like something Ulq’s dad used to make. Speaking of, I got my allowance from “mom and dad” yesterday so I’m thinking of going colossal. I’m starving.” He chuckled at his weak attempts at humor. 

“Hmmm. I think I might get a double shot of espresso. You might be starving, but I’m thirsty,” she commented. She shifted her stance, making sure to exaggerate the movement of her hips.

“Yeah, I can see that,” he said with a nervous laugh in his voice. “Going somewhere later?”

Oh. So she had been trying too hard. He thought she was desperate. Rangiku crossed her arms over the bare skin, feeling ashamed. “No,” she said, looking at the floor, her eyes following a crack in the tile.

He noticed her mood shift and frowned. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean anything by that. You just look too hot for paninis and me. When I saw you walking down the street I thought for sure that you were on your way to kick someone’s ass or destroy some poor guy who didn’t know what was coming.” What the fuck was he saying? He was scrambling because the sight of her like this was making him panic. Rangiku Matsumoto didn’t get shamed by nobodies.

Giving a one-shouldered shrug, Rangiku sighed. “I like looking hot for you. I knew I should have dressed more conservatively.” She ventured a glance at Shuhei. “I don’t resort to violence and very rarely do I see the need to tell people off.”

Shit. It looked like this conversation was going to get heated faster than planned; she wasn’t pulling any punches. He took a deep breath, triggering a stretch reflex. His arms went behind him and his back bowed, causing his T-shirt to ride up a bit and expose a few inches of his abs. “I’m thinking we should probably get this to go, what about you?” he asked her when he straightened back up.

Blue eyes dropped to that strip of skin. She could feel heat pulse between her legs. Her teeth raked over her bottom lip and she nodded. “Yeah. To go would be good,” she agreed. Yeah she was desperate. She wanted to fix things with him. 

He nodded and stepped passed her; she had not paid attention while the line moved. He ordered the sandwich she said that she liked, the drink she said that she liked, the biggest panini they had for himself and a diet soda. He didn’t like coffee at night; it gave him indigestion. He paid and led the way to the pickup counter without a word.

She was nervous. She shook her head at herself for being so transparent as he moved in front of her. He paid for her stuff. He shouldn’t have done that. Thinking about it, Rangiku should have just ordered a salad and water. Shu was being nice to her. Was this… could this be considered a date? It would be stupid to get her hopes up. Well if she was going to be stupid might as well go big or go home. She took his arm and hugged it before looking up at his face. “I’m gonna need to workout tomorrow after this,” she said. 

Smooth, Rangiku.

His eyes bugged out for a fraction of a second before he looked own at her with a vaguely amused smile. She seemed absolutely insane. He hoped that was not the case.

However, it wasn’t a bad feeling to have her on his arm. He looked out at the cafe and saw a few patrons look at them; sizing him up after they looked at her. A rush of male pride flooded his brain momentarily.

Seeing the look on his face discouraged Rangiku. She straightened up and put a few inches of space between them. She just needed to be herself instead of trying to charm him. Shuhei probably thought she was crazy. Maybe she was.

“Hey, Ran,” he said under his breath after she backed away. “How many of these people recognize you, do you think?”

She glanced at him and then around the sandwich shop. There were a pair of older teens looking at her and whispering. There was a young mother with a baby strapped to her chest staring at them. There were some young men gazing at her and laughing. The old man was probably perving on her. “I don’t know. Why?”

“They’re probably wondering who the bum is that is tagging along with you if they know.”

She gave him a quick smile. “Or they’re wondering why a hot guy is with such a—“ Rangiku stopped herself from saying slut. “Such a plain woman.”

“Pfft. You’re anything but plain and you know it,” he said, bumping her hip with his.

“You’re not a bum,” she said bumping his elbow with hers. “Bums are gross and unemployed. You’re hot and definitely not gross. And you have a respectable job. I think I’d like to see you with an apron on and flour on your nose.”

He smirked. “I’m sure if you look—“

“Order for, uh, Shoe?”

“That’s me,” he said, turning around for the bag full of food and then looking down at Ran. “Shall we?”

Rangiku nodded and grabbed the paper coffee cup and the bottle of soda before following Shu out the place.


	25. Chapter 25

“So where do you want to go to talk?” She asked, walking beside him. 

“Either in the car or your place, or if you know a spot. I’m not picky. I concede about the privacy thing,” he said, unlocking the car.

Tilting her head to look at him, Rangiku said, “Why concede? If we go to my place, I promise to behave. It’s not like I’m going to tie you to my bed and have my way with you.” She refrained from adding any perverted thought to that.

“I mean,” he said, affecting a serious, unimpressed expression he’d seen Ulquiorra use on Orihime a thousand times, “we probably don’t want an audience for what we need to discuss.” He got in the car and waited for her to join.

Right. Rangiku opened the passenger side door and handed Shuhei his bottle before she sat in the seat beside him. She shut the door carefully and looked at him. “What do we need to discuss? Wait, what do you want to discuss?”

“Us.”

“Us.” That was a heavy word, especially when it concerned them. Rangiku took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. We can do that. I’m not so emotional today.” She gave him a small smile before she took a sip from the paper cup and looked out the window of the car door.

“Good. I mean, you’re allowed to be emotional but you have to be able to hear what I’m saying, too,” he said, putting his arm across the back of her seat to look backwards as he backed up. “You know?”

Rangiku nodded. She tried to ignore his arm. He was just driving. Get a hold of yourself, Rangiku. “Shu, I’ve not—I understand that. I didn’t listen to you. I put words in your mouth but you did the same thing, too.”

“Maybe I did, maybe not. I’m not really sure what happened; it all went too quickly to have a clear recollection,” he said, flashing a grin at her and he moved his head back to face forward. “Which is the best way to go from here?”

“Do you want to go to my apartment? If so, turn left,” Rangiku said. “If not, there’s a park somewhere around here. Probably will have to google it because I have no clue where.”

“Your place is fine. Let me know when I need to turn,” he said. In truth, he wasn’t sure that this was a good idea, but something was telling him to just do it anyway.

“Turn left at the light. I literally live right around the corner. Okay maybe a bit further than that but still.” As Shu followed her directions, Rangiku’s stomach was full of butterflies.

He saw her building after another minute or so and pulled into the parking lot. He said nothing as he exited the car, but as he ducked back in for the bag of food he said, “Feels like it’s been awhile.”

She sat there and stared at him before getting out. She had to unlock the security door, holding it open so that he could enter after her. “It’s been eighteen days. I guess that is a while.”

He chuckled as he stood up. “I guess. You’ve been keeping busy, I presume?”

Rangiku shrugged. It depended on what he meant by busy. “Kinda. I think I have an actual job. Yeah that’s really the only thing I’ve done. I got a job and an agent.”

“Wow, what kind of job?” he asked, following her inside.

He must not follow her social media accounts. “I, um, it’s, uh, I’m going to be doing a late, late night talk show called The Rumor Mill on E. I’ve also got some spots snagged on other shows; red carpet stuff.” She was quiet for a moment as they entered the elevator. “What about you? How’s the baking business?”

“Uh, same as always. Flour, water, salt, yeast. Mostly, anyway. So speaking of rumors,” he started. May as well get this out of the way. “What was with that last _It’sRan!_? I know she’s not your friend anymore, but why are you so hell bent on breaking up the Cifers?”

She stayed quiet until they reached her floor. She continued to be this way until she had her apartment door open. Finally she was home and could be her real self. Of course, Ash greeted her. “Hello kitty. Come in and make yourself at home, Shu. I’ll answer your question in a moment.” She was quick about rummaging through her dressers. Obviously she was going to strike out with him. She was going to be comfortable while she did it.

The blonde slipped into the bathroom and changed into loose pajama pants with roses printed on them and a baggy-ish T-shirt that said “I’m a Unicorn!” before throwing her hair up and taking off the makeup on her face. Such a shame she had spent all that time getting ready and trying to impress him. Shit. She should have gotten a selfie. She emerged from the bathroom a couple minutes later and sat down on her bed.

He couldn’t help the smile at her appearance. “You look about fifteen years old,“ he said with a chuckle. “It’s cute to see you like this when you usually look so perfect.“

“Hush, you’ve seen me like this before,” Rangiku said. “So, I wasn’t trying to break them apart. They have a rock solid marriage; no one believes that they would cheat on each other. I was told by Gin to create a buzz. I did that.”

“You usually eat in bed? Heathen,” he muttered, passing her a styrofoam box with her food in it and taking a seat on the floor. He opened up his own box and took a bite of his sandwich, swallowing before he spoke again. “You don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. Even the strongest relationships suffer under rumors of infidelity, and the Cifers’ relationship is shaky at times.”

Rangiku raised an eyebrow at him. “Well it’s not like I’ve got space for a table in here. Usually, I sit at either desk and eat. Also, I have no clue what goes on behind their doors and I have no clue about relationships. I was paid by Gin to say stuff and that’s what I did. He gave me the info.”

“Anything for a buck, I guess,” he said, taking another bite and looking off at the cat crossing the room.

She tried not to get bent out of shape over his comment. It partially worked. Rangiku put the box of food to the side and stood. She walked past Shuhei to the kitchen to retrieve her phone from her bag and her coffee. When she returned to the other area she threw her phone on the bed and stood at the balcony doors looking out them. “It bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“That you backstab people that you might call friends? Yes. But more than that, you cause tension in their marriage by pretending to be Orihime’s friend. She’s a big softie. If you pretend to be her friend she’ll stick up for you. It’s caused arguments between her and Ulquiorra. And then there’s me. I know I’m no one important, but I don’t want people getting the wrong idea about me. I don’t want Kiyone getting her hopes up because you insinuate that I might be attracted to her. Stuff like that does real damage to people,” he explained calmly. 

“I know it does and I’m sorry for it.” The woman sighed and closed her eyes. She had wanted to be friends with Orihime because she could sympathize with what the woman had endured as a student of Aizen’s. She had experienced trauma at his hands. “I meant the money thing but you pretty much laid it out there. I’m kind of glad that you don’t want whatever her name is to get her hopes up.”

“Of course not. I’m not an asshole,” he said, half of his lips curled up into an embarrassed smile. “I don’t lead girls on.”

Her head turned to look at him. She could barely see him from her peripheral vision. “No you just show them the time of their lives and then say that there’s no hope for anything.”

“When did I say that? Hmm?” he asked, then took another bite of food. He would make her defend her accusations. He tried not to get too chuffed about the time of her life comment.

“You told me that we would only be booty calls to each other and that we could be friends. You said that was as far as it could go.”

He could barely believe the cajones on this woman. “How is that nothing?! I mean, Ran, let’s be serious. I’m some baker that you would not go out for lunch with. You are fucking how many other guys? With how much prestige? I’m not an idiot, Ran. People talk. You don’t exactly try to hide being Gin Ichimaru’s go-to girlfriend. I liked you. A lot. But I have to set boundaries that I can live with under the circumstances, otherwise I could end up falling in love with you and getting my heart broken. Would you want that?”

“I’m not fucking anyone. I’ve not had sex with Gin in weeks. I’m not his girlfriend. I know what I want and I want you, but it sounds like you’re speaking in past tense. You _liked_ me. Okay.”

“What did you expect?! You ditched me because Orihime told you to choose between me and Gin. Do you think I’m gonna sit around making myself miserable because of some girl who I had a three-day encounter with decided I wasn’t worth it?! Get over yourself. Just because I’m a nobody doesn’t mean I don’t have any pride.” He was looking at her like she was a nutcase.

“If you knew things about me, you’d be glad that I ditched you.”

“Maybe, maybe not. Never got the chance to find out,” came the retort, followed by an aggressive bite of panini. 

Rangiku shook her head and sat back down on her bed. They were getting nowhere with this. She couldn’t tell him she was a high class whore. He didn’t seem to believe that she wanted him. “I—you don’t want that chance either. That’s what it sounds like.”

“There you go putting words in my mouth again. If you’re disappointed that I’m not banging down your door and begging you to be with me, then sorry, I guess you’re going to be disappointed. I’m not going to beg you to change your mind. You’re a big girl. You know what you want. If you want to change your lifestyle to be with someone like me, and I say someone _like_ me, because we just started getting to know each other, then great. I can’t make that choice for you though.”

“You put words in my mouth. I would be seen out with you. There’s a video on the internet of us staring each other down. I just went somewhere with you. You assumed shit because of who I am. I said fuck appearances when I arrived at the Cifers in just a t-shirt and shorts. I said screw everything I’ve worked for when you saw me like this for the first time. Orihime thought just because I’m a sugar baby that I don’t deserve happiness. Drop Gin and leave you alone. So I’m in the process of doing that. I’ve got a job and you don’t want me,” she said in a tired voice. Rangiku sighed as she flopped back onto the mattress.

“You’re a what?” the voice was low and cautious.

Rangiku huffed. She was going to have to explain. Great. “A sugar baby; someone who is in a specific type of mutually beneficial relationship for the expressed purpose of achieving economic security. Gin pays me to be his arm candy and to spread rumors about certain people. Occasionally, he might want to have sex. He’s been the only stable person in my life since I came out here. That was almost 7 years ago.”

She sat up and looked at Shuhei. “Go ahead and judge me just like Orihime did.”

A mirthless, disbelieving laugh erupted from him. “Do you buy your own bullshit, Ran? Jesus! You act like I’m jerking you around and never gave you a chance, but you were, and remain, unavailable. How much does he pay you?”

Rangiku’s expression became closed off and she brought her knees to her chest, hiding her face from Shuhei. Over the days she had the idea that Shuhei would hurt her by hurling hurtful words at her when he found out, but Rangiku never expected to be mocked or ridiculed. She had to take deep breaths to keep from totally breaking down.

“Ran, answer the question,” he said quietly after a moment.

“Eight grand.”

“A year?”

She let out a laugh. “A week? Sometimes more.”

The color drained from his face. “That’s not fucking funny, Ran. A guy like that doesn’t pay that kind of money just because he’s got it. He _owns_ you. Do you think he’d take kindly to us dating? He could, and according to Ulq, _would_ , ruin anyone who ticks him off. And you think Orihime said to leave me alone because of moral issues? This is a safety concern.”

No. Gin didn’t own her. She was free to do whatever she wanted. They had an agreement. That’s all it was! “You know where the door is,” she muttered, not wanting to talk to him anymore or ever again at this point. She turned her back to him and laid down, looking out the window.

“Okay. I see how it is. We get to talk about your fantasy romantic bullshit but as soon as it’s time for real talk you shut down. Wonderful. Do me a favor and don’t drag anyone else down with you. You’re gonna get someone hurt or killed playing this game.” He stood up and wiped his hands on his pants and gathered his trash. “I’d be your friend, Ran, but I don’t think you want that.” His chest hurt. How could she do this to him? Was she that vapid? He left without another word.

***

Rangiku didn’t shed a tear until she heard the door shut. She rolled over and picked up her phone, ignoring the sandwich box. She had been stupid to think that Shuhei would be impressed by her pretty face. She was dumb to think that he would want something more with her. 

All she did was hurt people. 

What about the people who hurt her?

She pulled up Instagram and tapped on the DMs. She automatically deleted Shuhei’s and then tapped on Momo’s.

**ItsRangiku**   
I would love to pick your brain.   
As it turns out, I might be visiting Ohio soon.   
Could we meet?

The blonde watched as those three dots flashed on the screen. They disappeared and then started again. It seemed like Shuhei’s ex-bitch had a lot to say.

***

Shuhei was nervous. He was more than nervous. By the time he got home, he felt like he was going to be sick. Rangiku Matsumoto was Gin Ichimaru’s kept woman. She was a fool if she thought otherwise. Yeah, maybe he didn’t care if she fucked other guys, so long as no one would ever know. But a guy doesn’t pay a woman eight grand a week to be made a fool of. He felt like he had a target on his back.

Shuhei knew bad guys. He had spent two years in jail. Sure, most of the real baddies go to prison, but some of them have good lawyers and spend a month or so in County waiting to get a plea deal. He knew that bad guys didn’t care what your reasons were. If they were pissed at you, you better fucking hide.

That was exactly what he was planning to do. He took his Instagram account and made it private at a red light on the way home. He practically ran into the house when he got there.

“Shuhei!” Orihime shrieked. She was half naked and pinned against the cabinets in the kitchen.

“Sorry!” he shouted, running through the main area and to his room. He sounded like he had seen some shit.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra with concerned eyes. “What the fuck?”

Ulquiorra sighed and stepped away from his wife, trying to get his dick back in his jeans. “You said that he would be late. He looked half fucking scared and not at all fucked. Wasn’t he going to Ran’s or something? You said he got a message from her.”

She nodded. “I expected him to either be happy or sad, not whatever that was.”

“Go see what’s wrong with him, or do you want me to?” Ulquiorra asked.

“Maybe you better…” she trailed off, gesturing to her naked torso.

Ulquiorra took a deep breath and zipped his jeans back up, cursing his roommate. He walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to Shu’s room and tapped on the door. “Let me in,” he said.

He could hear the other singer shuffle to the door and unlock it. When his face came into view, it was pale, and Shuhei’s breathing was faster than usual.

“What the fuck?” Ulquiorra said with wide eyes. He had never seen Shuhei look scared. “Dude, what’s wrong?”

“I was--” he had to pause and take a deep breath. His heart was racing. “I have to sit down,” he said. After he sat, he grasped his knees and blew out a controlled breath, then looked at Ulquiorra from that position. “I was trying to talk to Ran today. Maybe to patch things up, I don’t know. She told me she wanted to talk and I went over there. She told me something I really, really didn’t want to know. I am afraid to be out in public, now. You said Gin Ichimaru is a real prick, right?”

Ulquiorra nodded. He had only known Gin for about four years. He never liked the guy and he didn’t get along with him. “Yeah, he’s a fuckface. Why? What’s wrong? Why would you be afraid to be out in public? What the fuck did Rangiku’s rabid fanbase do; maul you?”

“No. Because I fucked Gin's sugar baby, that’s why.” Shuhei could barely breathe.

“What? What the fuck did you do?” Ulquiorra’s brows furrowed in confusion before he turned and yelled out the door. “ORIHIME!”

The woman came running in, adjusting her bra with her shirt agape. “What?! What happened?”

“Shu, tell Orihime what you just said.”

“I fucked Gin’s sugar baby.” He put his forehead in his hand.

Orihime’s eyes moved to Ulquiorra’s and back Shu. She finished making herself decent and went to sit next to him, rubbing his back. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t know…”

Shuhei turned his glassy, wide eyes to her. “I doubt he cares. With the amount he pays her, I’m willing to bet that any man who touches her is a dead man.”

“Aizen isn’t dead,” Ulquiorra stated.

Orihime shot a deadly glare at her husband and shook her head slowly. It wasn’t his secret to share. “Aizen didn’t get posted on Mila Rose’s vlog with her naked and covered in hickeys.”

Shu’s shoulders lurched and his body shivered. “And the video in the shoe store. And Ran’s bitchy video being overtly jealous. It’s all out there. Shit.”

“Mila told me that Gin introduced Aizen to Ran. He knew about what happened,” Ulquiorra argued. “Gin has done nothing to him. But fuck, you’re right. Fuck. It’s my fault.”

“No, it’s my fault. I pushed you together. I didn’t tell you that I knew even after that. I tried, but it wasn’t my secret…”

“No!” Shu interrupted. “You guys… wow. Thanks for fucking up, but it wasn’t your faults. Ran fucking led me down this path. Even tonight, she was bitching and pouting because I wasn’t considering a real relationship with her. Like she is free to do that? What the hell is wrong with her!? And you can’t compare me to Aizen. If Gin wanted to let him play with his toy, that’s one thing. The sick fucker probably watched and got off on it. I touched her without permission. There has to be repercussions. Nobody pays that much money to keep a woman at his beck and call without feeling like he owns her.” He was nearly hyperventilating by this time.

“She’s a person,” Ulquiorra said, his mouth opened. Was his fucking boss in the business of human trafficking? If so he was a sick bitch. “I don’t know what to say Shu. Do you know how long this has been going on? How much does she get paid?”

“Eight K. A _week_.” he breathed.

Ulquiorra’s eyes widened more and he just stared at Shuhei before he turned to his wife. “How much do you make a week? Because I know I don’t make eight thousand dollars a week.”

“Not on a regular basis; my royalties come in random increments and, I mean apart from signing bonuses and things like that, my best month was sixty thousand but that’s rare.”

Even when OIV went on tour they made some numbers, but eight thousand dollars a week? “Jesus. She gets paid over four hundred grand to fuck him? I’m sorry, I’m gonna say it. She’s a fucking expensive hooker.”

Orihime and Shu nodded in a defeated way.

“I mean, it would be one thing if she was a paid assassin or even fucked him daily, but this is extreme and bizarre. I doubt he pays his ex-wife a fraction of that in alimony. There’s no way he’s doing it out of the generosity of his heart,” she said.

Shuhei shook his head. “No. Guys who shell out that kind of money will always come to collect. God, Ran. What have you gotten yourself into?” He flopped backward into the bed and covered his eyes.

“Shu… You didn’t pay her did you?”

“Ha! With what money? No I didn’t.”

Ulquiorra raised his brows and then shook his head. “So Gin is trying to fuck me out of my band and owns a woman. Shuhei has gotten to fuck the most expensive whore I’ve had the pleasure meeting for free and he’s still worried about her even though she’s probably fucked him over. This is incredible,” he said. “You have to go outside, Shu. Maybe he won’t retaliate. Maybe it’s not you he’s gonna come after.”

“I know. It’s just… Fuck!” He pressed his hands into his eyes as he started to cry despite himself. “She doesn’t even realize what danger she’s in,” he said through his tears, sounding pathetic.

“Shu…” Orihime said in a sympathetic voice. “Maybe you’re misunderstanding something? Maybe he’s paying her to say what he wants on her show?”

“He could pay a lot of people a lot less to do the same. This is weird shit, Heemz. I can’t even imagine what he wants from her ultimately.”

Ulquiorra scoffed. “Gin’s fucked up, but what can we do? She’s comfortable and willing to allow it to happen. Maybe latching on to Shu was a rebellion or maybe she was seeking a way out,” he said. “From what Mila Rose told me about Ran, Gin took her virginity. He groomed her from what I understand, kind of like your Aunt did to you, Orihime. Of course, Ran isn’t a child and she understands what is going on.”

“Oh my god, Ulquiorra. Gin is Claire. He wants a perfectly obedient puppet.” Orihime sounded spooked.

“I fucking hate people like that and it just gives me more of a reason to get the fuck away from Espada Records,which reminds me. I need to talk to Grimmjow. I’ll do that now while you two talk,” Ulquiorra said and disappeared into the hall and down the stairs.

“Shu, I think you’re going to be alright. Ulquiorra knows Gin. If he says he isn’t interested in you I think you’re safe.”

The man on the bed sniffled but said nothing.

“Shu? It’s not just Gin, is it?”

He shook his head.

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”

He nodded, and his nostrils flared as his chin wobbled.

“Oh, Shu,” Orhime laid down next to him and held him. She cried along with him. At one point, about ten minutes into it, Shuhei sobbed. Loudly. It reminded her of how he sounded when he called her in a drunken fit from a motel room in Iowa. She sat both of them up and put his head on her shoulder, re-wrapping her arms around him and rocking him from side to side and just let him get it out. “Shhhh, shhh,” Orihime said as she soothed his hair and tried her best to comfort him. 

He was beyond comfort. The thought of Rangiku caught up in something like this, something that he had no power to help her out of, made him feel worse that worthless. He felt like she was already dead. He was grieving for her. It was wretched.

Ulquiorra closed his eyes as he heard Shuhei’s cries. The man had sounded like him the day he left for California. He sounded like him in that car out in front of his dad’s house. Shuhei sounded broken. 

“Cifer, what the fuck do you want?” Grimmjow barked into his ear.

“I need help Grimmjow.”


	26. Chapter 26

“So, what brings you here, Mr. and Mrs. Cifer? What do you see as the main issues that caused you to seek help?” the couples’ counselor asked, sitting in a chair across from them and crossing his legs with his hands clasped over his belly. His name was Dr. Tsukishima. He had been referred to Orihime by Rukia, of all people.

Orihime looked at Ulquiorra and swallowed. “Um, well, we’ve had a turbulent past, and although things had been better since we started living together, lately he’s been regressing and being dishonest with me?” She wasn’t prepared for this question.

“And you, Mr.Cifer?”

“I’m an inconsiderate asshole who has issues and doesn’t take other people’s feelings into account.” Ulquiorra looked at the man with a blank expression.

“So you think your wife is blameless, Mr. Cifer?”

“Um,” he said, trailing off and looking at Orihime. “We’re a young couple. I’m the one who usually causes the problems in the relationship. I get stuck inside my head too much and I deal with my own issues. Orihime doesn’t do anything wrong.”

“Hmm,” the counselor said, picking up a yellow legal pad and scratching something onto it. “Do you think you do nothing wrong, Mrs. Cifer?”

“I, um…” This felt like a trick question. “I do some things wrong. Nobody’s perfect.”

“What would you say are some of your shortcomings?” he asked, not looking away from his notepad.

“Um, I get overly excited about things and drag him along for the ride without finding out how he feels about it? I panic when I feel like he doesn’t love me. I, uh… I asked him to let a friend stay with us who he feels is a threat to our relationship.”

“Interesting. Do you have an opinion on any of these things your wife has mentioned, Mr. Cifer?”

Um. Shit. He had opinions but he didn’t know if he should say anything. Orihime assured him she wouldn’t get mad at anything that would be revealed here. “I don’t feel like Shuhei is a threat anymore. He has his own stuff--He’s assured me that he doesn’t feel that way about Orihime. She’s more of a sister to him now than anything. He’s like… my best friend. I trust him.”

“Okay. That’s one issue out of the way. See? We’re making progress.” Dr. Tsukishima looked up and smiled at each of them. “What about her overenthusiasm? How does this affect you, Mr. Cifer?”

Huff. Ulquiorra was already getting annoyed with this guy. “I’m not very social. I don’t like people. Sometimes her enthusiasm has let people into our lives. Ivan… Hailey… Shuhei. Grimmjow but he’s a totally different problem. She becomes passionate and wants justice for things. Sometimes I feel dispassionate about her campaigns. Of course, that is a two way street.”

“How do you mean it’s a two-way street?”

“Sometimes I get obsessed with things and she doesn’t share the same energy I have for them.”

“And this mismatch of passion or energy causes difficulty between you? Hmm.” He made another note in the notepad. “It’s common for anyone, couples included, to have separate, but parallel goals and pursuits. What about your lack of synchronicity triggers you, Mr. Cifer?”

Ulquiorra’s face turned pink and he looked away from the doctor. “I have no clue what you mean,” he said.

“I mean, it appears you have an expectation that your wife will, and/or should, always be on the same exact page as you. That she should feel the same way that you do about things, and she should not take an interest in the things that you do not find interesting. Would you say that is true, Mr. Cifer?”

His eyes shifted over to Orihime and back to the doctor. “No, I know that my wife doesn’t like some of my obsessions so I hide them from her.”

The counselor’s eyes shifted to Orihime. “How does that make you feel, Mrs. Cifer?”

She was quiet for a long moment. “Not good,” she finally answered.

“Elaborate, please, Mrs. Cifer,” the doctor prodded.

Orihime felt a burning in her stomach. “It makes me feel like he doesn’t trust me. It makes me feel like I can’t trust him.”

“Do you trust your husband, Mrs. Cifer?” Tsukishima asked, tapping his pen to his bottom lip and looking down his nose at Orihime.

There was a long silence as her cheeks heated up and her breathing accelerated. In a voice barely louder than a whisper, she said, “No.”

Scribbling. Nodding. The doctor looked at Ulquiorra. “How does that make you feel, Mr. Cifer?”

“Shitty, but I’ve given her multiple reasons not to trust me. I’ve cheated on her--physically, not emotionally. I’ve failed to recognize the injustice I dealt to her. Um,” Ulquiorra paused as he thought about what he had done to Orihime. “I said nasty things to her. I abandoned her when she needed help. I’ve hidden things from her. She has always been an open book to me and I sometimes push her away. So she’s allowed to not trust me. I wish that wasn’t the case though. I love Orihime and I want us to have a relationship where we trust each other.”

Well he was just a chatty Cathy today. Talking to Tsukishima was a breath of fresh air. This guy was nothing like Soifon.

Tsukishima nodded. “How does it make you feel to hear your husband say these things, Mrs. Cifer?”

How did it make her feel? How did it make her feel? There was wetness around her eyes before she could answer. “It makes me feel like I am not worth making the effort it would take to stop doing these things. Um… It makes me feel like even though he knows he does it, he doesn’t care. Like he thinks it would be nice if we could be happy, but we can’t, so we just have to live with it.”

“Uh huh. Yes, I can understand why you might think so. What do you think, Mr. Cifer?”

Ulquiorra turned to Orihime and looked at her. “I don’t think that. I don’t think that at all. You have been worth everything. Woman, I’ve come a long way in the years we’ve been together. We’ve dealt with a lot. I want us to be happy but sometimes I relapse.”

“Do you have some kind of condition that makes your behavior beyond your control, Mr. Cifer?”

“No. I have issues. I don’t like confrontation so I’ve let people drag me along for a ride in the past. I get stressed out and shut down. I have anger issues. I’m recovering from…” Ulquiorra paused. He didn’t like telling anyone about this. “I’m recovering from anorexia. Sometimes I drink too much. Those are somewhat normal things.”

The doctor raised his brows and wrote down what Ulquiorra said. It took a couple of minutes. When he was done, he looked at Orihime. “Mrs. Cifer, what would you like to say to your husband? Anything at all at this moment. This is a safe place.”

She looked at the doctor like he was nuts.

“Go ahead, Mrs. Cifer. What do you feel right now?”

“I feel like… I feel…” she looked around in front of herself. She didn’t know. Wasn’t this guy supposed to be good at this? Right now it kind of felt like he was just leading them around to air out. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know or you don’t care?”

“What?! What am I not caring about?”

“Your husband’s issues.”

“Of course I care about them. That’s why we’re here. His issues are part of who he is but something has got to give sometimes. I can’t be the only one reaching out. I can’t be the only one trying to be happy. I can’t be the only one who smiles and tries to enjoy life and the things it has to offer. Sometimes I feel like he’s trying to… to…” She slowed down. What she almost said could have been taken very badly.

“Trying to what, Mrs. Cifer?”

“Trying to, um, keep me under him.” she wrinkled her nose. It was an odd choice of words.

“Mr. Cifer? Your response?”

He scoffed. “Maybe in bed I am but dammit, why would I keep you under me? I want you to be as successful as I am. In fact, I want you to blow my success out of the water. Be more successful and show the fucking world that Orihime Cifer won’t back down from anything. Do you feel like I’m trying to hold you down? That I’m stifling you?”

Her hands came up to the sides of her face. “No! No! That’s not what I meant! I meant that… I don’t know what I meant.” she put her head down and exhaled heavily.

The doctor intervened. “Mrs. Cifer, think about what you do mean. In the meantime, Mr. Cifer, your wife mentioned that she panics. Has this been an issue for you?”

Ulquiorra looked at the doctor, not liking these questions. “I abandoned Orihime in an unsafe situation. I made her feel unwanted. I know that she has these attacks. I try not to leave her often but she has issues that she needs to deal with. They’ve--no they’re not an issue for me. I--we deal with them when it happens but they also happen when I’ve been a dumbass.”

The doctor took more notes. “Alright. So you two have developed coping mechanisms for these “attacks” that are related to traumatic past experiences, I presume? But not for the ones resulting from miscommunication or other issues between the two of you. Do I understand that correctly, Mr. Cifer?”

“I guess.”

He nodded. “Mrs. Cifer, have you been able to understand what you meant before?”

She shook her head.

“Do you think, perhaps, you don’t know because you don’t mean what you said?”

“I… Maybe. I feel confused.”

The doctor nodded. “I’m going to give both of you some homework, and I’ll want to talk about it again when we meet next time. Mrs. Cifer, I want you to take note each time you feel like you did when you mentioned feeling “under” your husband. What the circumstances were and what triggered it and how you felt. Got it?”

Orihime nodded.

“And Mr. Cifer, I want you to take note of every time you feel an impulse to keep something from your wife or push her away. Again, I want the circumstances, the trigger, and how it made you feel. Will you do that?”

“Yeah, anything to strengthen my marriage.”

“In the meantime, there is one last thing I want to touch on today. Mrs. Cifer, you said you feel panic when you feel like your husband doesn’t love you. He has said that he loves you very much. Do you believe that he loves you?”

She nodded.

“Do you think that his love is dependant on outside factors?”

“I used to.”

“Do you now?”

She was quiet again. “No.”

He smiled at her. “Good. Work on your homework. I’ll see you in… two weeks? Talk to Susan on your way out, I’m sure she’s got it written down. Do either of you have any questions?”

Ulquiorra shook his head and then looked at Orihime. He had to wonder what she was thinking about all of this.

Orihime swallowed the fear that was making her throat feel tight and asked, “Do you think we can fix us?”

Tsukishima chuckled. “That’s up to you. Do you think you are broken? Is it beyond repair? Those are questions for the two of you to determine, not me. Being married isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about choosing to stay together. Everything else is just the day to day. Our goal is to make it harmonious and what have you. The only ones who can decide if it is good enough or strong enough is you. Goodbye, Cifers,” he said before slipping into his office.

Orihime stood up and took a shaky step. For some reason she felt ashamed of herself. She slowly brought her eyes up to Ulquiorra’s. “Well, what did you think?”

“I think I need a new therapist because Soifon is shit at her job. I’ve told this guy more in one session than I have in how many years with her?” Ulquiorra scoffed again and placed his hands on Orihime’s hips, drawing her close to him. “I love you woman. I’m choosing to stay with you. I hope you’re choosing the same thing.”

“I do. I always choose you,” she said, hiding her face in his shirt.

“Okay, so since we’ve had this little session… I promised not to hide things from you but there’s something you need to know. Ran’s in Ohio.”

A hard sniff and Orihime’s bloodshot eyes found his. She wiped them off quickly. “What is she doing there? When did you find out?” she asked with urgency.

***

“Hello Instagram! It’s me Rangiku! Hello from… well Ohio is sunny today but dear god is it humid. My hair… Ugh.” The blonde made a disgusted noise. “I am in Columbus and will be traveling west to a small town about, eh, eighty miles away??? Is that right? I’ve been promised an exclusive interview with someone who says they’re close to Ulquiorra Cifer. So we will find out what they have to say.”

The blonde smiled as she got into the rental car. “Okay, so I’m going to be vlogging this and will compile everything into a new video which I will show you all soon! Bye bye!”

There was a huff as Rangiku plugged in her aux cable and then plugged her phone in. She had made the rash decision to get a plane ticket. She wanted to see what this Momo was like. Momo said that she could meet Shuhei’s best friend too while she was here. Two for the price of one. That was a bargain that Ran could get behind. This place was too flat. There were too many farms and not enough big buildings to look at. There were no beautiful views of the ocean or mountain vistas to gaze at.

Ohio just plain sucked.

Just like Shuhei sucked.

Just like Ulquiorra Cifer sucked.

Who else came from Ohio that she knew?

She couldn’t think of anyone off the top of her head. 

When she pulled up to the brick apartment building, Rangiku leaned over and looked at it through the passenger door’s window. What a fucking dump. This is where Shuhei had lived when he was with this slag? 

Whatever. He was just some baker from the ghetto. She rolled her eyes at herself for even thinking of him. She brought her laptop with her just in case she needed to make notes and she had an extra tripod just to film this interview. She grabbed the designer bag that held her tech equipment and got out of the car, making sure it was locked, before carefully picking her way over to the front door of the building. Momo had told her that they lived on the second floor? Third floor? And there wasn’t a fucking elevator. Perfect. 

Oh well, she had to break in these Valentino’s at some point in time. As she walked up the stairs, she heard loud voices. Did these people have nothing better to do than to scream?

As she listened, Rangiku heard the name Momo being thrown around. Great. Not only was she a basic bitch, she was also a dramatic one. Wonderful. She pulled out her phone to start recording the yelling.

“It’s not yours, you little… Do I need to call the police?” An older woman shouted.

“Shu gave it to me. He said since I loved it so much I could have it. Besides he left it behind when he took off for California!” came the bitchy reply.

“Bullshit. He would never give it to you. He never wanted to be with you, Momo. You knew it. You always knew it. You used to whine to me about it when you helped yourself to my white zin and got weepy. He would never give you a family heirloom when he never wanted you to be part of our family. Besides, it wasn’t his to give away. It’s mine and I want it. Now, young lady!”

Out came a long laugh from behind the closed wooden door. “Why, so you can put it on the back of the couch and wait for Shu to stop being a loser and meet someone? Sorry, he’s too busy pining for the stupid redhead he’s been seen with. He’s a loser Shelly. Also, this is a civil matter, take me to court for it, bitch.”

“Or I could just tell Rich and his buddies down at County that you’ve been passing out the special brownies again, you ignorant slut. Do you really want to go up against me? Or do you want to hand over my goddamned quilt?”

Wow those were words, Rangiku thought as she listened. Momo had some balls.

“At least my son didn’t get caught for possession. I’m glad I didn’t fucking accept his proposal. I wouldn’t want to have his fucking bastard last name,” Momo screamed. There were several bangs and crashes then a thud. “Here’s the damn thing. I hoped the dog pissed on it. Now get the fuck out of here, I’ve got an interview to do and she should be here soon.”

“Ha! I hope it’s with a social worker for your involuntary commitment case. Batshit insane midget,” the voice was getting closer and the door opened. “Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman said to Rangiku. “I’m sure you didn’t need to hear that.” She smiled and walked around Rangiku toward the stairs.

“It’s fine,” Rangiku said in a squeaky voice. “I just got here. Have a lovely day.” God that was stupid. That had to be Shuhei’s mom. The woman who said hi to her and the woman that he had told that he was seeing someone. It made her sad, watching the woman’s back disappear down the stairs and out of sight. The blonde turned back to find a very short woman staring up at her. God she was fucking tiny. “Hi, Momo?”

“That’s me, come in. Sorry if you overheard that display. Shelly Petersen is a total cunt and thinks she can just waltz in here and take what she wants. Shu gave me that blanket!”

“Oooh, do you mind if I record? I don’t want to mistake your words. I need to document everything,” Rangiku said.

Momo gave her a shrug. “Sure, don’t care. Do you want anything to drink? We’ve got some beer or some cheap vodka. I also have tap water. Things have been kind of tight around the bakery.”

“I’m fine but thank you for the offer. Is there somewhere to sit? I need a flat space to work on.”

The table she was led to was rickety but cleaned. The entire apartment was tidy. Rangiku quickly set up everything and began to record what Momo was saying. 

As the story went on, Rangiku’s stomach twisted in knots. Shuhei had proposed and Momo said no. He flipped out threatening her and throwing stuff. Then he left, yelling at her that he’d find a new whore. 

“Do you think he still has feelings for Orihime?”

“He has to, why else would he go to her? Maybe he has feelings for that freak Ulquiorra Cifer. He looks like he’s a bottom,” Momo quipped.

Rangiku had to school her muscles to keep a straight face. “Why did you reach out to me?”

“Because, I’ve been looking at Orihime’s Instagram. I’ve seen him with that blonde. There’s that one video that other twit made about him and a blonde woman. He could have told me he was into blondes. I would have colored my hair. Ugh. Do you want some special brownies?”

The blonde just smiled. This was going to be a long fucking interview.

***

“Shu!” Ulquiorra shouted. He had shown Orihime the Instagram story from Rangiku. There was no one in Ohio who would tell Rangiku anything about him. She was probably there for one reason. “Shu! Where the fuck are you? Is he at the studio?”

“Um, he might be,” Orihime said. “I can call him?”

“I think he’d want to know that she’s in Ohio. He might not--He’s a fucking mess what am I talking about.” Ulquiorra nodded. “Call him.”

So she did. He answered with a glum, “Hello?”

“Hey, Shu, um, Ulquiorra wants to talk to you,” she said quickly, and then squinted her eyes, shaking her head back and forth as she held the phone out to her husband.

“Thanks for throwing me under the bus,” he muttered and took her phone. Why did he have to be the bearer of bad news? “Shu? Dude, um, any chance you can get to a computer or look at Instagram?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Rangiku.”

“Dude… We talked about this. I have to get over her.”

Ulquiorra sighed. Yes, they had talked about this. Yes he probably did need to get over her. But this… this was a problem. “She’s in Ohio. She’s headed to that fucking backwater town,” he replied.

“Shit. Shit. Shit. I gotta call… I don’t know who to call. I gotta call Kira. I can’t talk to Mo. And, uh… Ran blocked my number,” he said with a sigh. He hadn’t told anyone that. It was just another nail in his coffin of loserdom.

Ulquiorra flinched. Damn. “Anything we can do to help? I mean if she’s out there and you’re here... I don’t know. It makes me feel kind of helpless.”

Another sigh. “I don’t know what we  _ can  _ do. I mean, Momo is insane. I don’t know how much Orihime shared with you, but when she threw me out, she was violent.”

“She didn’t tell me much. Just you needed help and we could do that,” Ulquiorra said. “It wasn’t my circus at the time. I’ll let you go so you can deal with this… But you should watch Ran’s story.”

“Right. Thanks, man.” Shu hung up and pulled up Instagram on his phone and saw the blonde talking as she got into a car. Then another IG story of her and Momo. His stomach clenched. Shit. She had talked to his crazy ex. Rangiku seemed about as impressed with the short bitch as he was. He had to call Kira.

“Hello?” the lackluster voice answered.

“Kira! It’s Shu. How’s it going?”

“Oh, you know. It’s going. How’s life? Are you really living with Dickface Cifer?”

Shuhei huffed a laugh. “Yeah. He’s not a… Well he is a dickface but not all the time. What’s new with you?”

“Oh, not much. I have an appointment coming up in a couple of minutes though, so if you wanna call me back later or tomorrow--”

“Dude, Kira. I know that vlogger. She is pissed at me because I was kind of dating her and--”

“What? How did you know--”

“Dude. She’s posting stories about it on Instagram. I know she met with Momo already. I can only imagine the crazy shit that she’s saying about me.”

“I can’t blame her, Shu. She told us how you broke stuff and tried to attack her when she said no.”

“WHAT?! I never-- I-- Said no to what?” Shuhei was wild with confusion.

“When you asked her to marry you? Ring any bells?” Kira asked, clearly annoyed.

“Kira. You’re my best friend. You know I would never in a million years ask that crazy, hateful, spite-loving harpy to marry me. I could barely even stand her as a business associate. I was only with her that long because I didn’t want to say goodbye to Shiloh.”

“Shiloh is a cute dog but she’s not enough to make up for having to put up with her.”

“It took me too long to figure that out, Kira. Anyway, don’t say anything bad to Rangiku? I’m sure Mo already did enough. Talk me up? I’ll make it up to you when you get a chance to come for a visit. You should, you know. Everything is… brighter here.”

“Yeah. I’ll talk you up, bud. Talk to you later.”

Kira hung up.

***

She had told Momo that she needed to check into her hotel and that they could meet up tomorrow to talk to some more. Rangiku was tired of the woman and only spent two hours around her. She had heard everything. This woman was hung up on Shuhei. Either Shu had done all these things to this woman or she was fucking delusional.

“He was constantly pouting. That redheaded skank and dickface Cifer. That’s all I heard from him. It wasn’t like he and Orihime had anything except for a couple of kisses and groping. He’s such a loser. He couldn’t even come up with enough money to buy into the purchase of Cifer Confections. Jon Cifer is an idiot for selling it to us for that low of a price.”

Rangiku nodded. She didn’t know the older Cifer that well. He seemed to be in love with his wife and their toddler. Not so much with his son. Then again Ulquiorra was over eighteen and was making anywhere between seven to eight figures a year.

“Oooh, tomorrow when you come by I can tell you about his sloppy sex habits. He was horrible with trying to get me off,” Momo said as Rangiku gathered her things.

“What?”

“Oh yeah. Horrible in bed. He’s selfish and uncreative.”

For a second, Rangiku saw red but she calmed down. Her entire cover would be blown if she got into Momo’s face about that outright lie.

But…

What if Shuhei had done all of that just to impress her? Maybe his reluctance at trying to continue things was more than his fear of Gin. Maybe he didn’t want a fresh start and was tired of not getting his. She had left him hanging twice.

As she bid the tiny woman goodbye, Rangiku walked down the stairs, wondering if she should talk to Shu about this. Nothing that Momo had said matched up to what the gossip vlogger had experienced.

Shuhei was not violent. He wasn’t the type of person to yell. He didn’t involve himself in drama. He didn’t put up with a lot of bullshit. He cared when he was with someone. He was a sweetheart. He had a heart of gold.

She had only spent those few times with him but Rangiku knew all of this to be true; she could feel it in her heart. When she was in bed with Shu he was constantly asking if she was okay or feeling good. It seemed like those three days she slept on top of him or he was wrapped around her. She welcomed it and she missed it.

Being so deep in thoughts about the man, she didn’t notice she almost ran into someone. Rangiku looked at the blond man in front of her. His hair was light. Hoo boy. He was kind of attractive without the sad, woe is me vibe. She smiled at the man. “My bad,” she said. “Oh! Are you Izuki Kira? I probably got that wrong.”

“Izuru, but close enough,” the man responded.

“I’m sorry. I’m Rangiku Matsumoto. I know that we were supposed to talk at Momo Hinamori’s but do you think we could find a different place to chat?” Rangiku said. She had enough of Miss Peach Cobbler.

“Yeah, there’s a bar around the corner that’s not too noisy.” The man turned and started walking in the other direction with slouched posture.

“Uh.” Rangiku didn’t know if she wanted wanted to drink anything at a place around here. “Actually, do you know if Occhi Verdi is open today? I heard about the place from Momo and I’d like to visit.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s across town, though. Follow me?” he asked, turning toward a very weathered Toyota Camry.

Rangiku spied the car and sighed. She was so enclosed in her little LA bubble that she had forgotten people like this existed. Shuhei had come from this place. “Sure, I’ll be right behind you,” she said as she walked to her rental.

The drive from the seemingly ghetto area of this nothing town through downtown to a much nicer area was a shock. Was there an invisible line that separated the poor from the rich? Then Rangiku saw the sign that said Yumi Confections and Occhi Verdi. Strange name. She had to wonder if anyone had green eyes that ran the business. She would have to ask Kira.

He got out of his car and didn’t want for Rangiku to start heading into the building. He nodded at the red-haired man staring at his phone near the register and a dumb-looking former jock type. “Ren, Shawn. Uh, I’ll take a water.”

Rude. This guy didn’t even hold the door open for her. Rangiku sighed and looked at the menu board. “Double shot of espresso over ice with… A muffin,” she said. She opened her bag and produced her wallet. “My treat, if you want anything else, Mister Kira.”

“What? Oh. Um, black coffee then. Thanks.”

The red-haired man behind the counter rose a scarred brow at Rangiku. “Wow. Is this what passes for dates these days?” he muttered, looking her up and down subtly. “Did you lose the Tinder lottery or something? If you want to escape, just wink twice. Kira can be put down easily,” he said with a cocky smile.

Rangiku looked at this guy with the manbun and raised an eyebrow. “Pardon me? This isn’t a date. I’m Rangiku Matsumoto and I’m interviewing Mister Kira about Shuhei Hisagi. Did you know him? Because I would love to interview anyone who could tell me about him.”

“Oh, yeah. I can tell you about Hisagi,” Renji replied, leaning forward and widening his smile. “I can tell you all night if you want.”

A very unlady-like snort left Rangiku. “No thanks, I’ve heard about you Ohio boys and your version of all night. How much do I owe you?”

“Eight-sixty.”

With a flirty smile on her face, Rangiku pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to the man. Damn she was in rare form today. There was something about this guy that was hilarious but at the same time… creepy. Just a bit. Maybe it was the manbun, or the tiger-striped bandana, or the-- “Are your eyebrows tattooed?”

“Oh, well, just a bit. I mean, there’s the regular brow there, too,” he said, looking pointedly down at the cash register as he counted her change. “So what makes you interested in a pussy like Hisagi?”

Hmph. Shu was anything but a pussy. She bit her lip and played with her necklace as she thought about what made her interested in him. It was nothing she could say in polite company. “He’s living with Obscuras IV and Vega Highwell. Those two are drama productions so I figured he’d be involved in some of it.”

“What?” he said, his eyes snapping up to hers before trailing down the skimpy sundress she wore, not-so-subtly lingering on her cleavage. “Did you know that Hisagi was living with Red and Dickface, Kira?”

“Yeah.” came the disinterested reply. He was already sitting down at a booth.

“If you could be a dear and bring my coffee to me, I’d appreciate it,” Rangiku said, flashing the redhead another smile and turning towards where Kira sat. She put her wallet back into her purse and sat down. She got out her phone and pressed the voice memo app. “For the purposes of this interview, do I have your permission to record this conversation, Mister Kira?”

“Yep,” Kira’s eyes also reached the blonde’s for a moment and trailed down to stare between her tits.

Smile. Just smile Rangiku. These people had probably never dealt with anyone high profile. Maybe she should have worn more clothing. “Have you known Shuhei long? What’s the basis of your relationship with him?”

“Uh, we went to school together since kindergarten. We were neighbors. Um, on and off best friends.”

“Oh? On and off? Is Shu wishy-washy when it comes to relationships?”

“I don’t know about that. In high school he fell in with a rough crowd that I avoided. Then there was jail, so that kind of put a damper on things.” 

Renji arrived with their drinks and had to add his two cents. “Yeah that Pesche is like a curse. Him and his kid sister are like leeches,” the coffee shop worker said with a snort before walking a couple of steps away, just in case the hot woman had any follow-up questions for him.

“Nelliel you mean?” Rangiku asked. She dropped the flirtatiousness and got serious. She was kind of afraid to know this answer but she asked, “Did Shuhei have involvement with Nel?”

“She was hounding him pretty bad for awhile after he got out of jail. I don’t know if they were involved. She hounded everybody, though, right Kira?”

The blond nodded. “Yeah. She is, or was, I don’t know what prison did to her, but she was pretty much the city bus.”

A sick feeling rose in the blonde woman’s throat. Everyone, including Shu had taken a ride. Rangiku swallowed. “Ah, so, about Orihime Inoue or Cifer… What happened there?”

“She worked here. She was living with the owner, Ulq’s dad. Then he had an issue with his domestic partner at the time and asked her to leave the house and she stayed with Shu for a week? More or less. Then we all drove down to Austin, and you know what happened there, I’m sure.” Kira’s attention got lost in his coffee cup at that point.

Rangiku nodded. She had been at SXSW that week and heard the rumors about Ulquiorra punching someone. “Momo showed me a video of Shuhei being intoxicated and rambling about Orihime. Do you think that’s what lead to the break up of Shuhei and Momo’s relationship?” 

Kira laughed. “How old was that video?”

“She says it was taken before they moved in together.”

Kira’s eyebrows rose in an almost shocking display of emotion for the subdued man. “That was almost a year and a half ago. Like not long after we got back from Austin and Orihime moved out of Shu’s place right away. Momo started making her move on Shu in Austin and she never let up. Eventually I think he decided to try to give her a chance. Plus, technically she was his boss, although she usually stays on this side of the building. Shu worked next door at the bakery.”

“Shu let himself be dragged along for a ride?” Rangiku asked, her brows furrowing. Maybe that was the problem. He didn’t want to settle for anyone. That’s why she was just a booty call. The woman gasped as understanding came over her. She was a rebound fuck. Jesus fucking christ.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Kira said, then paused to take another sip. “He was really depressed. He had been for a long time but after he got out of jail he realized how bad he fucked up. His Mom was disappointed in him. His  _ Mom _ . He worships that woman. Anyway, Renji got him this job and he was barely scraping by and one day that redhead with the Fargo accent comes along and looks all weepy and pathetic and Shu kinda fell into some kind of trance about her. Then they started to play music and rehearse and put it up on YouTube, and he started feeling kind of better, like not always down on himself. His confidence started to improve, you know? Anyway, after she left then he was back down to this sad sorry sack of spineless whatever, and Momo kind of whipped him into shape. And then she got Shiloh, and he kind of just didn’t want to leave the dog with that crazy lady. That’s what he told me, anyway.’

Oh. He only went for simpering princesses with broken hearts. “Does Shuhei do one offs? Any one night stands? Three night stands? Weekend lovers?”

God that was really specific. She frowned at herself.

Kira actually laughed. “You don’t know him much, do you? No. He never pursued anyone… wait I take that back there was that one chick in high school and Orihime. But mostly he had a couple girlfriends when he was really young and then after school he just partied and you know how those party chicks can be… they just hung out at Pesche’s all the time to get high and hopped on whoever was handy. Sometimes Shu was there. That’s it. He’s not like charming or good at picking up. He couldn’t even charm Orihime away from Dickface McDumbass. I still can’t believe that he kept going back to Nel. For years that chick made him look like a fool. Oh well. Not my problem.”

“Actually I don’t know how party chicks can be. I don’t associate myself with those types of people,” Rangiku said, looking at the blond man with a stern expression. “Do either of you know Shuhei’s mom and how I can get a hold of her?”

“Shelly Petersen? Yeah, she lives next door to my mom,” Kira answered. “She also works at Cutting Edge hair salon. It’s a couple of blocks north of here.”

Rangiku smiled and shimmied herself out of the booth before pressing stop on the app and slipping the phone into her purse. “Well it was a pleasure meeting and talking to you, Mister Kira. You should come out and see Shuhei. He could use another friend or two,” she said, glancing at Renji.

“I could be your friend, if you’re going to be in town for awhile,” Kira muttered, not looking up from his coffee.

She was about to take a step towards the door. Her back straightened and her chin tilted up. It was an attractive offer but she still wasn’t over Shuhei. “Maybe or you could come to Los Angeles and we could hang out. I could show you what a real club is like. Bye bye.”


	27. Chapter 27

The Thursday that Shu had recorded his last song for his album came more quickly than he expected, and when it was finished, he felt a bit at a loss. He had been focusing on work for so long, that now that it was over, he had too much free time to think. For now, anyway.

Urahara had come to congratulate him and offered to take him out to dinner with his partner, Orihime, and Ulquiorra at a Brazilian steakhouse to celebrate. Shu wasn’t going to say no to his more or less boss, so he had worn his most loose-fitting pair of jeans and a black t-shirt in preparation for getting sloppy full on meat. 

He was waiting in the Soul Society parking garage for the Cifers to show up. He was celebrating and Urahara insisted he not drive. The man wanted to get to know his new asset a bit better.

The dinner itself went well, and Urahara got Shuhei to open up about his past and explain why he had been reluctant to work with Orihime in more detail than the woman had ever been willing to provide. Urahara found Shuhei easy to talk to and offered him the use of his poolhouse if he ever found himself stranded in Beverly Hills.

It had helped that Shuhei had had a fair amount to drink. On the drive home, Shuhei was feeling its effects, and started singing in the backseat, badgering Ulquiorra and Orihime to sing along to Mr. Big’s “To Be With You.”

“Come onnnnnn, Dude. Sing along, it’s a classic! I’m the one who wants to be with you… Deep inside I hope you feel it too!” His singing was not up to its usual standards.

Orihime looked at her husband with an amused expression as she sang and drove, flashing her brows at him when Shuhei muttered between versus, “Yeah you _did_ feel it deep inside. Tsk.”

“Should we take your phone away from you?” Ulquiorra asked as he sat in the passenger seat, looking back at Shuhei.

“Why would you need to do that?” He asked, not exactly to the point of slurring his words, but not quite at sober levels of dictation.

Ulquiorra’s green eyes and the top of his head appeared around the seat. “I wouldn’t want you to make an ass of yourself trying to call _her_ or send a drunk DM. I remember those days of texting Orihime while drunk, trying to get Bad Habit pics from her.”

“Bad habit? What kind of bad habits do you have, Heemz?” he asked lurching forward to stick his face between the driver and passenger side seats.

“Um,” Orihime blew out a quick breath and blushed bright red. “Um…” she shot Ulquiorra a glare.

“Bad habits are for boyfriends or husbands only. Since I’m the husband, I get to see them,” Ulquiorra said. He smirked at his wife and placed a hand on her thigh. “Besides, Ran has a bad habit collection of her own. You have a piece of it, unless you tossed it.”

“I am not following you, dude.” Shuhei sat back and folded his arms over his chest.

“Lingerie, Shu. He’s talking about lingerie. Rangiku and I used to go shopping for it together all the time,” Orihime blurted, pretending to be irritated.

“Lingerie? What lingerie? When you lived with me all you ever wore was some gray t-shirt that didn’t fit and all I’ve seen Ran in except that first night is Hello Kitty PJs.”

Ulquiorra turned his head and looked at Shu again. “What? She owns regular pajamas? This goes against everything I’ve known about her. Woman, do you have regular pajamas?” he joked, smiling at Orihime. He felt at ease after having one drink. “Wait, Shu, does she like, take off her meat suit and like, is there an alien under it? I mean… does she take off the makeup and is a hag?”

“No, she’s fuckin’ gorgeous when she takes her face off. Way better than with it on. She looks sweet,” he mused, totally unguarded with a small smile on his face.

“Aw…” Orihime said softly, biting her lip. “And no, I don’t have any regular pajamas. I think you destroyed my last set when it accidentally ended up in _your_ Bad Habits, my love.”

His head turned towards his wife and Ulquiorra shushed her. “Silk boxers aren’t bad habits. Not to me, that is,” he said with a pout. His mouth formed a thin line. He would show Orihime what his bad habits looked like soon.

“Oh fine. You’re no fun,” she said. “Wait, Shu, are you-- I can’t believe you remembered that T-shirt. I still have it.”

“Burn it!” Shuhei grumbled from the backseat. He was getting sleepy. “It did nothing for your figure.”

Ulquiorra scoffed. “She looks fine in my t-shirts. I like uncovering what’s beneath them.” He flashed his eyebrows at his wife and then addressed Shuhei. “So Ran looks like a normal person under all that makeup? What about plastic surgery? She has to be like forty percent plastic.”

“Don’t know, don’t care. She looks good. She feels good. She feels fucking good. Don’t care if it’s enhanced.”

“Shuuuu!” Orihime whined. She didn’t want that mental image in her husband’s head. She didn’t mind it in hers, though.

The green-eyed man grinned. “Wifey is all natural. Everything is enhanced by nature,” he purred, leaning over to kiss Orihime’s cheek. “How long until we’re home? I want to fuck your brains out in the kitchen.”

Her cheeks heated. “Six minutes.”

“Do you want me to watch? Is this some weird inductation thing?” Shu was leaning his head back onto the seatback. The combination of rich food and booze was about to put him to sleep.

“No. You can buy our sex tape when it comes out,” Ulquiorra said grinning at Orihime. “Shu, question. I want an honest answer.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“What possessed you to maul Rangiku in my studio? Why not make her scream from your own bed?”

“You had a sock on the door. Bros before hoes, dude.”

“At that fucking moment my wife was only your bro. I’m not a ho,” Ulquiorra scoffed.

“I meant you put a sock on the door. I wasn’t gonna cockblock you with extra noise. ‘Sides, you two almost made her come just listening to you,” he said sleepily.

“Great. I knew he jerked off listening to us,” Ulquiorra stated.

“I mean… We do sound awesome,” Orihime said with a small chuckle. “What did she say, Shu?”

“Huh?”

“What did she say about hearing us?” This was turning Orihime on.

“I don’t remember if she… she said something like it was hot. But when I came out of my room and found her at the top of the stairs I could swear she almost had a hand down her pants. Oh yeah, I asked her if she liked listening and she said yeah.”

Orihime only smiled and shook her head. She had hoped for something raunchier.

Ulquiorra was watching the redhead and started drawing small circles on her thighs. “I don’t think Orihime would have minded the extra noise. I could make her scream louder, can’t I, Princess?” Okay, maybe the drink he had was a bit strong. He would never flirt like this with her when he was sober. Well, he would, but it would be behind closed doors.

Orihime’s hips squirmed and she bit her lower lip, answering with a whimpered, “Mmhmm.”

Shuhei was dead to the world in the backseat.

***

Ulquiorra made sure no one was home four days later when he made a call to Urahara’s direct line. He needed to know what was being done about figuring out his contract. With the news of what Gin was doing to Matsumoto, and by extension, Shuhei, he wanted to be away from the Espada Records CEO as fast as possible.

“Mr. Cifer! What a pleasant surprise. You are actually on my to-do list. What can I help you with today?”

“Uh, I hope not, but okay. My contract,” Ulquiorra said, thrown off guard for a moment. “Let’s just say that I’m no longer comfortable around Ichimaru and I want to know what we can do.”

“Your timing is impeccable. I just got out of a meeting with our lawyers and we need to speak. Is there somewhere I can meet you? I’m on the road; I could come out to Malibu.”

A sigh went through Ulquiorra. “Might as well, I’ll be waiting.”

An hour later, Urahara was at his gate. After being let in, he waited for Ulquiorra to open the door, through which he came with a nod and a briefcase. He walked directly over to the small table in the breakfast area of the kitchen and set it down. “Mr. Cifer, you may want a pen or something to make notes with. There are details to be considered,” he announced before sitting down.

The only thing in the kitchen to write with was the grocery list that hung on the fridge. He grabbed a sheet off of that and then found a pen. He joined Urahara at the table. “How fucked am I?”

“I wouldn’t say you are exactly fucked, Mr. Cifer. Compromised, perhaps. Not fucked. Do you remember renegotiating your contract before your marriage to Ms. Inoue-- your wife?”

“Somewhat. Koma shoved some papers at me. I wasn’t interested in the words. I just signed. I thought it was for merchandise. Why?”

Urahara shook his head and sighed. “Why has my goddaughter not yet insisted that you obtain an agent? You need one.” He shuffled some papers and showed him a document dated approximately a year ago. “This document amended your original contract, which would have expired in October 2024, with an obligation for three albums, to an _at will_ contract, meaning your association with Espada Records can be terminated by either party at any time without cause.”

“But?” Ulquiorra knew there was a but to this conversation. “And getting an agent means I have to give up something. I like having control of everything concerning my act.”

“You are confusing an agent with an agency. An agent is simply an individual you pay to act on your behalf for business purposes. He or she is well informed on your wishes and executes your business dealings accordingly; leaving you free to focus on your music. An agent owns nothing and works directly for you.”

Oh. “Gin said I didn’t need one of those when I first signed with Espada,” he said. “So I can walk in there, tell Gin and Tosen to kiss my ass and take OIV and run?”

“Not exactly,” Urahara said, passing him a memo drafted by one of the Soul Society lawyers. “As you can see, Espada Records holds the rights to the name ObscurasIV and OIV for any performance or recording purposes until October 2029. If you leave Espada now, you won’t be able to use the name ObscurasIV for another seven years.” 

Ulquiorra dropped the pen he was using and stared quietly at Urahara for several moments.. “I don’t… I don’t understand. How can they do this? What about the social media accounts and the email address that use ObscurasIV? Why would...Why the fuck would my mother allow this? She knew how much OIV means to me! How much? How much would it take to get it back?”

“Whatever Espada wants. We can go to them with a proposal, but if they want to bury you, they can ask for the sky. Until that contract expires, the name belongs to them. Almost.”

“Almost? Tell me,” Ulquiorra asked, running his hands through his hair.

“The contract specifically states that Espada owns the name ObscurasIV for performance and recording purposes. It does not include universal rights to the name. In fact, it seemed that you were so adamant about keeping your Instagram private that the contract specifically excludes it. This means while they can fight you for your social media accounts; they probably won’t win. That’s the first silver lining,” Urahara explained and waited for a reaction.

Ulquiorra almost collapsed onto the table top. Okay, so his messages with Orihime would be safe. “Okay, if it’s not within my means to get my stage name back, then what?”

“Do you remember the late recording artist known as Prince?”

The green-eyed man nodded.

“He had a very public legal battle with a record company that he cut ties with, who also controlled the name Prince for a number of years. Do you know what he did?” Urahara asked with a sly smile.

“In the famous words of Eminem, Prince turned himself into a symbol,” Ulquiorra answered.

Urahara nodded and grinned. “Exactly. You use another name; perhaps the Roman numerals you have used over the years. In the meantime, it appears that Espada’s legal team did a slop job on this amendment. There are several instances where the name ObscurasIV, or OIV, is used instead of or alongside Ulquiorra Cifer. That is enough to challenge the use of the name should they decide to replace you. Our legal team thinks it is doubtful that we would win a suit challenging the validity of the original contract’s claim to the name, but that the amendment is ambiguous enough to tie the use of the name up in the Court systems with injunctions until their ownership expires. Do you follow, Mr. Cifer?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “I have no clue what you just told me. I understand that I can use IV as a stage name if they don’t give me ObscurasIV back. And you’re saying that they can’t replace me in OIV because my name is alongside the band name, right?”

“Not exactly. Technically, they have every right to use it. They can certainly replace you. However, if you do decide to sign with Soul Society, we will use our resources to stop them from using the name in practice. We’ll have to send them cease and desist letters, which, knowing Gin and Tosen as I do, they will certainly ignore. After that we’ll have to file restraining orders. We will probably lose, but we can drag the process out long enough to make it a waste of time and legal fees for them to use ObscurasIV.”

“That’s a waste of money for Soul Society too.” Ulquiorra sat back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is Soul Society willing to sign me?”

“Yes. We have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.”

Ulquiorra looked up at the blond man with a confused look. “Why? I’m nothing good. I’m nothing.”

The intense smile on the older man’s face gentled, and he placed a hand over Ulquiorra’s forearm. “You are certainly not nothing. You are a very lucrative recording artist. You have immense vocal and musical talent. You have a sound that appeals to what is desirable now. And you are everything to my sweet goddaughter.” He gave Ulquiorra’s arm a squeeze and let go. “Will you consider our company to support your career? We can offer you _and_ Mr. Jaegerjaquez a compensation package commensurate with what Espada offered you, plus a few bonuses.”

“I need Nanao Ise too. Maybe Oetsu Nimaiya. Those two have been my lifesavers at Espada Records. Oetsu has been teaching me things; I want to produce music eventually. I don’t want to be a performing artist forever. I want to give Orihime what she wants. She wants a family and we can’t do that from the road,” Ulquiorra said, then sighed. “Maybe I need an agent.”

“Perhaps you can lure Ms. Ise away from Espada by offering her a career change? She could take on the role of your agent/manager seamlessly. Of course her uncle, the CEO of Soul Society, would be happy to provide you with an administrative staff allowance. I know Ms. Ise is so against working directly for Soul Society. As for Mr. Oetsu, I’ll have Yoruichi set up a meeting and we’ll see what we can do. Do you have any objections or further requests?”

He thought about the pink haired, loud mouth stylist who complained more than she worked. She could keep her ass over there at Espada Records. “Nah, I’ll talk to Nanao and Orihime and then let you know.”

“Very good, Mr. Cifer,” Urahara said, standing, gathering his paperwork, and stuffing it back into the briefcase. “Please put together a list of requirements, both monetary and otherwise, and we can work on drawing up paperwork. As soon as I get the greenlight from you, Kyoraku will approach Espada. There is a microscopic chance that they may be more than willing to dump you and everything you stand for, in which case all this hand-wringing and plotting will have been for nothing. Or they may listen to a reasonable offer to buy the OIV property. Either way, that would be simple and clean. If not, we’ll do as we discussed today. You’ll have to give your intent to terminate your contract and then you’ll sign with us, should you choose to do so.”

For a moment Ulquiorra thought he was going to say list of demands like this was a hostage negotiation. It made him smile. “Like I said I’ll talk to everyone and I’ll get back to you. Probably after this weekend. Another festival is on the agenda.”

***

Ulquiorra looked at the bag that held his purchases and sighed. His woman wanted to see him in some of his own Bad Habits? She was gonna get it. He was glad that she was at the office because he did not want her to walk in on him trying these on. He'd looked around the high end adult store, getting a feel for stuff, wearing a hat and a pair of sunglasses. 

The workers in the store probably thought he was there trying to steal something.

Eight pairs of things, a short black robe and a surprise later, Ulquiorra was heading back home.

As soon as he got home he headed downstairs opening the doors of his room and then shutting them. He locked them for good measure before pulling the curtains across the windows and doors that looked out on the pool. Just in case.

Ulquiorra threw his phone down on the bed, the screen showing Orihime in the kinky strapped piece of lingerie she had recently bought. He took a deep breath before he stripped down, folding his clothes up and setting them to the side. The first pair he pulled out were just a pair of simple mesh boxer briefs. They were tiny but somehow he got them on his legs. 

They hugged his ass and his almost hard dick perfectly. They felt good too.

He frowned as he looked in the mirror next to his closet. Oh well. He took a picture from the front making sure his cock was completely erect then two more photos; one from the side and one from the back. Wooo. One pair down. Only seven to go. 

The lime green diamond mesh pattern didn't feel that great and the green wasn't his color but he took the photos anyway, liking how his Adonis lines stood out, creating a V on his torso. 

The black robe and the satin/lace boxers were next. He took these into the bathroom and set up his phone to take a photograph of him standing by the counter wearing them. The satin that made the PG-13 rated underwear rubbed against his cock making it jump.

Hnnngh. Was he going to have to hurry this up if he wanted to show Orihime. 

The next two pairs were lace boxer briefs with cut out sides. Maybe she’d giggle at them.

The next pair was kind of embarrassing but if he couldn’t make his woman laugh, then what was the point? They were mesh boxer briefs with the ass cut out of them. The guy who was helping him said they would make people go crazy.

He didn’t want to make people crazy; Ulquiorra only wanted to make one person crazy. His wife. Again he took the three photos.

He reached into the bag and felt around, pulling out the full lace boxer shorts. They weren’t the loose kind but long enough that he didn’t feel like he was wearing underwear. After those photos were taken, Ulquiorra reached in for the last pair and the surprise.

Ulquiorra’s green eyes were pulled to the collar that he held in his hands. Unlike Orihime’s collar which was attached to her lingerie, this was a leather collar with a sturdy metal ring. He put it on along with the black lace thong he bought. It was uncomfortable but if she liked it, it would be worth it. 

He got to his knees in front of the mirror and took more photos than just the three of his body. Ulquiorra made sure he got closeups of the collar. Then he took pictures of his cock. He’d send those to her last. He still had another surprise for her. 

-hey I need your opinion on something.

Orihime, Ichigo, and Shuhei had started to work on blocking for their new tour program that week. The first of September was the day before Ulquiorra was going on another trip for his festival tour, and he was going to miss Orhime’s birthday, so she had arranged her schedule to only work half a day and spend the rest of the day together.

However, the morning ran a bit long and by the time she was done for the day she was starving, and decided to get some lunch with the boys before heading home. They sat at a cafe in a sunny corner, eating light, health-conscious fare, when her phone buzzed. When Orihime picked it up, she smiled. Ulquiorra had sent her a message.

She was not prepared for what she saw when she opened it. Oh. My. God.

Her face quickly turned red and a finger came to her lips as she feasted her eyes on images of her husband, and his perfect-to-her body, wearing these naughty little bad habits. Where had he found these things?! They were _fantastic_. She squealed as she slowly swiped from one picture to the next, actually whining a bit at the one of him that he had considered PG-13. To her, that one was the most erotic.

That was until she got to the last set of pictures. Ulquiorra wearing a collar. His well-loved cock. She growled as she pushed her half-finished quinoa salad away from her and typed a reply.

  * I’m coming home. NOW.



And she would have, too. Unfortunately, her companions had observed her reaction to whatever was on her phone and were immensely curious. Ichigo had glanced at Shuhei, who raised a one-shouldered shrug, before Ichigo looked back at the woman and nodded. 

“I’ll take that,” he said matter-of-factly as he swiped the device from her fingers before she was able to send the message.

“What is this that has you, of all people, pushing food away-ay-ay-ayyyyyyyyyyy… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?” the orange-haired man shrieked in delight.

“Give it back, _now,_ Ichigo!” Orihime yelled, leaping from her seat and reaching for the device.

“Nuh-uh. I want to know who this is that you’re ogling who is not your hus… Oh. _Oh._ Oh my,” he muttered, raising a brow as he swiped through the pictures that showed Ulquiorra’s face. “You know, Hime, I never got the appeal before, but I gotta say, your husband, uh, he’s got the goods. Well done you,” he said, passing the phone back, but not before turning the screen toward Shuhei to show him a picture of Ulquiorra in a black lace banana hammock.

“Ugh, dude, I could have been happy living my whole life not seeing that!” Shuhei balked, pushing the phone away from him.

“Ichigo! Oh my god! Give it back!” Orihime was desperate.

Shuhei swiped the phone out of Ivan’s hand and gave it back.

“I swear to god, Ichigo Ivan Kurosaki, if we were not in public I would murder you! How dare you take my phone and look at it! Those were not for you!”

“Oh, come on, Hime. It’s not a big deal! I’m not going to steal your husband from you. He’s still Oliver. Ew. But I gotta say… the lace boxers? Ask him where he got them because I’ve got a man I’d like to see wear them.”

“Unbelievable, Ivan. You are unbelievable! You pay for lunch! Sorry to ditch you with the prick of the year, Shu, but I have a date with my husband.”

Shuhei mumbled his forgiveness as Ichigo shouted after her, “I’ll take that prick of the year comment as a compliment!”

***

She didn’t send him a reply. Ulquiorra called her. He needed to know what she thought. Wearing that stuff had put him in a mood and he wanted to talk to his wife.

She picked up the phone when she was about twenty-five minutes away from home. “Hey, Handsome,” she said in a low voice. “I’m on my way.”

“Oh are you? Did you like what I sent? Or are you coming home to rip my ass for buying stupid shit?”

“Mm-mm,” her voice purred. “I _loved_ what you sent. I am breaking speed limits just get home and see you in those Bad Habits.” She was not going to bring up the fact that another person had loved them as well.

Ulquiorra blushed hard and chuckled. “Did you have a favorite one? I could put them on and wait for you.”

“Ah, I really liked all of them, but I really want to see you in… Hmm. It’s a toss up. Gentleman’s choice between the satin and lace boxers with the robe or the collar outfit.” She was starting to sound a bit breathless. She was genuinely excited to see this in the flesh.

His face turned even redder. “I’m laying here already with that collar on, waiting for you my love. I want to submit to you,” Ulquiorra said to his wife.

“Do not move,” she said in a stern voice and hung up the phone.

***

Ulquiorra made sure he was on his knees on the floor at the end of the bed when he heard the dogs go crazy upstairs. He heard Princess’ low boof, Donnie’s high-pitched yapping, and King’s deep bark. He sighed as he heard Orihime move overhead. His stomach was fluttering with nervousness.

As soon as the dogs were outside, Orihime chucked off her shoes and ran down the stairs. She threw open the bedroom door and slammed it shut, locking it behind her, before turning around to see her husband on his knees. It was a bit weird, honestly, but for some reason, the sight warmed her heart. She smiled at him and let her heartbeat slow down for a couple of seconds before saying, “Have you been good today, my love?”

“Yes,” he answered looking up at her. He had been good. As much as he wanted to jerk off, Ulquiorra hadn’t. He wanted to wait for Orihime.

She approached him and ran a hand over his head, letting her fingers sink into his hair before sliding the hand down to his chin and grasping it firmly. She tilted his face up toward hers and bent over, kissing his lips. “Do you have something to show me? I know I want to see. Stand up.”

Ulquiorra moved his head around to keep the contact but didn’t move as Orihime kissed him. He followed her orders and stood up, tilting his head back to show the redhead what was around his neck. “I submit,” he murmured.

“You submit to your Woman?” she asked sweetly, staring into his eyes.

“Yes. I love you and I want to be completely yours, Orihime.”

“Good. I want you to turn around and close your eyes, my Love,” she said, her voice soft and loving but with a strange energy to it that was not off-putting.

The man did as she asked. He didn’t question why. He didn’t say anything. He turned around and his eyes slid shut. He had to take a deep breath to keep calm.

Orihime felt like a kid in a candy store. She had never imagined being in this position, and she couldn’t really decide what she wanted to do first. She had an idea, though. As quietly as she could, she snuck off to her closet and returned with the leash she had bought weeks ago. Without a word, she returned to her husband’s back, and she touched the leather handloop to the base of his neck and trailed it slowly down his spine, past his tailbone, and along the seam of his ass. When she got to the bottom, she breathed out a quiet hum and gave the firm flesh a sturdy tap. Not enough to cause pain; just enough to watch how the strong muscle cultivated through endless nights of lovemaking and a healthy physical conditioning program would bounce back afterward. “Very nice,” she murmured, before taking the loop around his front, again, with feather-light pressure, dragging it from his balls, over the surface of his straining cock, and up to his navel. When she got there she paused and stepped in front of him, just staring. “You may open your eyes now, but do not move,” she said, tilting her head to the side as she examined his chest.

Again he obeyed her, shivering from the contact to his ass and his cock. Ulquiorra let out a shaky breath and looked at Orihime. “You’re evil, Woman.”

Her eyes alone rose to his face, glaring at him from under her brows, but still full of love. “Did I give you permission to speak?” she asked, moving the handloop up his body and tapping each of his nipples before taking the clasp of the leash and affixing it to his collar with a click.

The sharp gasp of breath was all the reaction Ulquiorra gave her. His chest rose and fell at a fast rate as he heard the leash being attached to the collar he wore. He had to trust Orihime. She wouldn’t hurt him.

“Good boy, now heel,” she said, soft and sweet. She wasn’t into affecting a character. She wanted to be her. Her with a new activity. She gave the leash a gentle tug and began walking him to the bed. When they arrived, she said, “Sit, Ulquiorra.”

He gave her a trying look before he sat down, placing his hands on his thighs. He wanted to grab her by the hips and have his way with her, but he had told her that he would submit to her.

“Now stay,” she whispered, looking at him for a moment as she began to take her clothes off slowly. First her blouse, then her skirt, then her bra and underwear. When she was naked, she approached him and wrapped her arms around his head, bringing his face to her bosom and squeezing a bit; kissing the top of his head. After she had gotten that out of the way, she put one of her knees on either side of his thighs and settled her seat on them, her arms running up the length of his and around to his back before pressing her upper body into his. “I love you,” she whispered into his ear before walking her knees up the sides of his body and settling her core right over the g-string he wore. She began to rock her hips, moving them at an incredibly slow pace, dragging her slit over the lace surface of his bad habit as one hand brought his face to hers. She held tightly to the leash and kissed him hard on the mouth as she moved on his lap.

He whined as she began to move, which evolved into a moan as Orihime kissed him. He had to grab her thighs to keep his composure, wanting to touch her. She was wet, soaking the lace of the new underwear. It made Ulquiorra pant hard as he broke the kiss and looked at her, tugging on the leash. “I love you,” he breathed before diving back in for another kiss, pushing his tongue into her mouth.

The look on his face at that moment would be something she would never ever forget, and the sound of his voice and the urgency of the kiss he returned caused her body to quake. She would fall apart now if she didn’t do something to stop it. She pressed into the kiss harder and stood up on her knees to stop the pressure between them. She kissed him for another long moment, her breath struggling and her core making her inner thighs wet, until she knew what she wanted to do next. She stood and tugged slightly on the leash. “Stand up,” she said, breathless.

If she didn’t let him come soon, Ulquiorra was going to fuck her silly. With a deep breath, he stood up and looked at Orihime to await instructions.

“Put your hands behind your back. Stand with your feet shoulder’s width apart,” she puffed the words out, unaware of how labored her breath was and how it made her breasts rise and fall in an exaggerated way. When he complied, she took a step toward him, pressing her body to his, then slid down it, leaving her hands up on his chest until by necessity they dragged down his torso too. She only stopped when she got to his Bad Habit. She kissed it from the front before grabbing the elastic that went around his waist with her teeth. She moved her face back and forth a few inches, letting her teeth rasp against his lower belly lightly, then pulled the underwear down his hips, using a hand to assist and assure that she didn’t tear the delicate garment.

“Hnnngh,” he whimpered. “Woman. Please.” His cock was dripping with precum and he’d been keyed up for a while now. God she was fucking sexy on her knees in front of him.

She pulled the underwear down his legs, ignoring his plea, and picked up one foot at a time to remove them completely, then looked up at his face from her position on the floor. “Tell me, my Love. What is it you want?” She didn’t flinch as a drop of precum dripped down and landed on her cheek.

Oh. Lord. This woman. She was going to be the death of him. He reached down and grabbed the base of his cock, his fingers encircling the skin. “Make love to me, Orihime. Please?”

She began to rise from her knees, pausing to lick the head of his dick clean as she got back onto her feet, and then pressed in the center of his chest and backed him up toward the bed. “As you wish,” she said, and when the backs of his legs made contact, she pushed him down and climbed up, grasping his cock and guiding it to her entrance as she settled on top of him.

Usually when she rode him, she did so with slow, sensual undulations of her hips. It was in contrast to how he usually fucked her, and in the end he would always get too into it and grasp her by the hips, holding her in place as he thrust into him from below.

Today would not be like the other times.

Once she was astride him and had sunk down so that her sex was flush with his belly, she hooked her feet under his legs, sat up straight, put her hands on her thighs, and started to move like her life depended on it. Up and down she rose and fell at a pace that soon had her panting and gasping for oxygen. Her thigh muscles burned and her tits bounced around wildly as she exerted herself.

Ulquiorra didn’t hold back, letting Orihime hear how good she was making him feel, crying out and groaning. He wouldn’t move or hold her in position. This wasn’t his show to run. This was hers. “Fuck, Hime. Oh god,” he said to her. He was fighting every muscle in his body to keep from coming inside of her so soon.

She was going for broke, but she kept going as her legs shook with fatigue. At his words, she gave out a cry and begged, “Give it to me, please, Ulquiorra! Come inside me.”

His teeth sank into his bottom lip and Ulquiorra arched his back, bucking against Orihime. His eyes closed as he felt the heat run down his cock and then he was coming. She was tight around him. By the time he was done, he was whimpering.

She rolled off of him quickly and got onto her back, her right hand darting to her core and rubbing on her clit. She hadn’t had the stamina to bring both of them to completion at that pace.

She’d masturbated for Ulquiorra before, but usually it was a bashful experience. This was anything but. Her neck stretched out and her eyes closed, chin tilted up, as she panted and gasped. She didn’t censor her moans, which quickly grew more and more urgent. “Ah, Fuck. Fuck me, Ulquiorra,” she called out, finally breaking, her knees jerking upward as her fingers still moved between her thighs. She came for a relatively long time, crying and squealing, until she was finally satiated and fell slack onto the surface of the bed.

“God you’re gorgeous,” Ulquiorra said. He would have sat up and watched her but just seeing her face gloss over with pleasure was enough for him. He gathered Orihime into his arms and held her close. “You looked amazing, Orihime. I love you so much. Happy birthday.”

“Best birthday ever,” she said breathlessly, nuzzling his chest. “What possessed you to do that?”

Ulquiorra rolled onto his side and kissed her. “You said something about my bad habits and I thought you might enjoy seeing me in something like that,” he said, hiding his face. “But you liked it. I might go back to Arnold’s and get some others. How do you feel about butt ruffles?”

She snorted a laugh. “We won’t know until we try, will we? How do _you_ feel about butt ruffles?”

The smirk on his face was wide. “We can be one of those couples that match. Butt ruffles for everyone. Ha!” Then Ulquiorra got serious. “Can you fly down for Kaboo Del Mar?

“I think I can make it happen,” she said, kissing his chest. “I’d like to be with you on my actual birthday.”

“I want to spend it with you. If we can’t spend it together, I promise we will have a party for you when I return. We can go to a nice Mexican place and I’ll buy you fried ice cream.”

“Sounds perfect. What kind of festival is Kaboo? Do I need to go shopping?”

Ulquiorra shrugged. “Go shopping anyway,” he said with a smile.

“Okay, I will. Whether I go or not, I’ll show you how Vega Strife zero zero dresses for a festival,” she teased.

“Maybe Vega Strife should get her ass on stage with me then.”


	28. Chapter 28

Orihime had her ticket to San Diego ready to go hours after her birthday present from Ulquiorra. She looked up the festival and decided it was really rather casual and didn’t _require_ her to wear anything special, but she went shopping anyway. She got some cute, leggy sundresses. She got some midriff baring halter tops and teeny tiny booty shorts. She also got some respectable married lady clothes, just in case.

She got driven out to the festival from the airport by a driver there for an act for Soul Society and changed into one of the leggy sundresses. She was going to watch the new Soul Society act, Yachiru. She was a young pop singer who had an equally young audience. Orihime, now officially twenty-three, didn’t want to stick out as the stodgy old lady at the kids’ party.

She got delivered to the backstage area and walked around looking for Ulquiorra’s camp. She got out her phone to call him, and saw that she had a text message from Ichigo.

  * Hey Orihime, check IG! :P



She would do it later. She called her husband first.

“I am going to kill him! I am fucking going to kill him, Orihime. When did he take a photo of your ass? Why?” Ulquiorra yelled into the phone.

“Wait, What? Who? What about my ass?” she asked, totally confused.

“Ivan. Ivan has your ass on Instagram and he tagged it deathwish. He’s gonna have a death sentence. Also he told me my ass was nice, too. Gave it a seven out of ten!”

“What? Let me see this…” She kept him on the line as she brought up Instagram. Sure enough, Ivan had tagged her butt in a picture. “Well at least it looks good,” she muttered, looking at her butt in a pair of shorts that she wore during rehearsal earlier that week. Under the photo was a caption that read, “Happy birthday baby girl! Your ass still looks as good as the first time you walked out on me in rehearsal, LMAO. Love, Ivan and the fam.” He had also tagged it #congrats #sisterfromanothermister #deathwish #lookawayOllie.

“Wow, that’s quite the birthday message,” she said with a giggle, bringing the phone back to her ear. “Relax, it’s not like he put my face in it, right?”

Ulquiorra huffed. “Woman, that’s not the point. He looked and you know how I am concerning you. Why would he say my ass looks good?”

Orihime coughed. “Um, well… The thing is, the other day when you sent me those pictures? I was not alone. He may have snuck a peek while I was distracted by, um, the goods.” She couldn’t tell him the pure truth. She didn’t want to go to a funeral on the week of her birthday.

Another, louder huff. “He saw those pics? He knows what I look like naked?” A scoff. “My ass is better than a seven.”

She scowled and scoffed on his behalf. “I know! You’re an eleven! At least! But yeah, he caught a glimpse. I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop it.” That last part was the truth. Ichigo was a lot taller than her, and if Shuhei hadn’t intervened, the pianist might still have her phone.

“Grimmjow!”

“What?!”

“Ichigo knows what I look like naked,” Ulquiorra said to the other member of OIV.

“And? He’s a top.”

“A what?”

“I hardly see how that makes any difference,” Orihime interjected over the phone, having heard Grimmjow’s comment. “He’s gonna want to tap that. I want to and I don’t even have a dick.”

Ulquiorra choked. “I am never taking my clothes off again. If you do it to me, I get to do it to you, Lady.”

“You want to?” she asked, giving the idea consideration.

There were several little squeaks from the green eyed man. “Not a phone-based conversation to have.” Ulquiorra’s face was red. “I’m on stage one in thirty minutes. Come by.”

“Oh, I’ll _come by_ , alright.” She couldn’t help it. She knew he was cringing and she had to lay it on thicker. She was evil. She wasn’t even really into the idea of anal, either; it didn’t turn her on. She just couldn’t stop when he got all weirded out.

“Oh god, Orihime. Stop! I’ll spank you!” Ulquiorra said in a stern voice.

“Ooh, promise? It is my birthday, after all. Twenty-three spankings.”

“Hnngh. Seriously stop. I can’t walk out on stage with a boner and I don’t feel like sitting next to Grimm with one either. Did you get a hotel--”

“We can’t leave until the festival is over and besides, you’re not my type, Ulq.”

Ulquiorra spluttered. “Do you hear this? I’m getting dragged left and right today.”

“He he he, yes. We can sneak you away. That or we can find a dark spot,” she spoke close to the received as she made her way to the stage he said he was going to perform on.

“We can always fuck in the tour bus. Right next to Grimmjow’s head,” Ulquiorra replied. He took a deep breath and then grunted as Grimmjow punched him in the arm. “Ow fucker, that hurt.”

“If I can’t have an orgy in the bus, you can’t fuck your wife in it.”

Ulquiorra sighed. “I’ll see you soon, Orihime.”

***

Orihime caught the tail end of the act before Obscuras IV as the stage came into view. She didn’t linger, though, walking around to the VIP area and requesting access.

“Sorry, you’re not on the list.”

Orihime chuckled. “There must be some mistake. I’m Vega Highwell? AKA Orihime Cifer? Ulquiorra’s wife?”

“Lady, they don’t pay me to think. They pay me to check the list. You’re not on the list. Come back to me when you’re on the list.”

Oh.

Well then. 

Orihime walked over to a cordoned-off area and leaned on the rope, and then called her husband.

“Woman, I’m about to go on stage,” he said. “I love you.”

“I love you too…” she said. He had hung up. Oh well, she guessed she had to watch the show like a commoner. She laughed to herself, trying to cheer up. She was close to the front, at least.

Ulquiorra ran out onto the stage with Grimmjow walking behind him. The blue-haired man got behind his set up with the mixer and the dj controller. There were drum and looping machines on the platform. There was also a keyboard. He waited for Grimmjow to put his headphones on before giving him a nod. “Hello San Diego! Welcome to Kaboo Del Mar!!!!”

The crowd went wild. “We. Are. Obscuras FOUR!”

Another roar of the crowd.

Ulquiorra launched into their first song of their set. He kept looking for Orihime from the corner of his eye. It wasn’t until they were midway through the hour long concert that he noticed her. He turned to Grimm and motioned for him to cut the music. He turned around and zeroed in on Orihime. “Hold the hell up. I see my wife. She’s in the audience. Come up here, Woman!”

There were screams, jeers, and catcalls but security rushed to where Orihime stood. Someone handed her a microphone. 

“I’m sorry. I know that we were in the middle of a song, but I can’t tolerate people being rude, especially when they’re rude to my wife. IT’S HER BIRTHDAY!”

Again the crowd screamed, and when they died down there were a few people still yelling Happy Birthday. Ulquiorra turned and looked at Orihime. “Woman,” he said, standing there covered in sweat and breathing hard.

He had never looked sexier to her. Well, maybe the other day with the collar around his neck was as good or better, but right now, looking at him in the throes of giving his all and looking like some kind of warrior, one who was focused on her and no one else, she felt like she could strip naked there and then and offer herself as a sacrifice to this god. She smiled when she realized she sounded like some kind of groupie in her head. “Yes?” she answered, a bit breathy, into the microphone.

Ulquiorra turned his head to the crowd and grinned. Then he looked at Orihime. “This woman is my wife. She’s twenty-three years old today. In two days marks… Four years of physically meeting. We have three furry children, and two adopted dumbasses. I have another present for you.”

He bit his lip and started singing, “Happy birthday to you...” The crowd joined him and he stopped singing a quarter of the way through, letting the crowd take over until the end. When the audience was done singing and cheering, the singer of ObscurasIV, pulled his wife to him. Once again the microphone was up at his mouth. “Woman? Orihime? Vega? Will you sing our song with me?”

Her mouth fell open. There were already tears in her eyes from the happy birthday song, but this? They had not performed together since the first night at Sado’s, almost four years ago. She nodded. “I’d love that,” she said into her microphone.”

“Grimm?”

The beat for the song began and Ulquiorra started singing the first verse while looking intently at his wife. “All my life I've been searching for something, something never comes never leads to nothing...”

***

It was four am. Why the fuck was Grimmjow’s phone ringing. “Fuckface!”

“Hmrhh?”

“Answer your goddamn phone or put it on silent,” Ulquiorra said. This was one of the reasons he hated damn tour buses. After their performance he felt drained. It was one of the reasons why he kept to himself. Being around people drained him. Performing took a lot out of Ulquiorra. He sighed as the phone stopped ringing and automatically started again. Fuck.

Pushing back the curtains that gave him some privacy, Ulquiorra sat up and reached across the aisle and shook Grimmjow’s shoulder. “Dumbass! Wake up! It says Hailey is calling!” he hissed.

Immediately blue eyes were looking at him and Grimmjow grabbed the phone, answering it. “Hello? Yeah. What? No! I can’t--Fuck. No. Let me talk to her. Hails? Come on Sweetie, you’ve got to breathe. Remember the classes? I know. It’s not pain. It’s pressure that’s what the--Okay. Okay, Hailey, I’ll be there. Yes. I’m gonna catch a cab or an Uber or something.”

Pause.

Another pause.

“Hails, sweetie, listen to me. Please. I’m gonna be there… It’ll take me a bit to drive or I can fly. Baby girl, please. I know it hurts--Put Ichi on the phone.” Grimmjow looked incredibly stressed. “Asshole, I left you instructions! They’re in the fucking binder by the bed! Of course you didn’t read it. Don’t fucking laugh at me. Yes, I’m leaving now. Fuck Espada. Fuck Ichimaru. And definitely fuck Tosen. What are they gonna do? Fire me? Okay. Plenty of other places would sign me. Okay, just… Make sure she’s comfortable.”

Grimmjow hung up and started scrambling around the bus. 

“What are you doing, Grimmjow?” Ulquiorra asked. 

“Hailey is in labor. Her water broke and she’s fucking crying about peeing her pants or something. I don’t know. I have to get up there,” Grimmjow said gathering his things.

“We can’t leave, Grimmjow.”

“Are you gonna fucking stop me?” Grimmjow turned around and yelled. “I meant what I said. I’m my own fucking person. I’m fucking king of my castle. I’m the one who makes the fucking decisions for my life, not my mommy or daddy. If I get booted, oh well.”

“What are your thoughts on Soul Society Music Group?”

“What?” Grimmjow asked as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He sat down to put his boots on.

“Look, it’s not important right now. I’ll cover for you, just get up to LA.”

***

Orihime ended up waking up the Soul Society driver that brought her from the airport and paid the woman five thousand dollars to speed the fuck up to Los Angeles with Grimmjow. With that kind of money, if the woman had to go to traffic court, she could do so with a lawyer. She spent a great deal of time after that on the phone with various people, panicking and apologizing to Hailey for not being there.

Honestly, the other woman did not have two shits to give Orihime at that moment. She was preoccupied.

Still, the redhead was fretting and trying to figure out a way to reschedule her flight to an earlier time. 

“Do you think everything is going to be alright?” she asked her husband later that morning.

“I have no clue. I have to figure out how to cover up the fact that Grimmjow is gone. We have a fucking meet and greet today. I can’t leave until that’s over.” Ulquiorra shook his head. He was panicking for nothing. Everything would be fine. Gin wasn’t even here. This, however, would be a perfect time to tell Orihime. “Hey, um, I talked to Kisuke.”

That got her attention. She dropped her phone to look at him. “And?”

“I’m free to walk away from Espada Records at any time.”

“What?! That’s wonderful news!” the immediate smile on her face fell slightly when he did not return her enthusiasm. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“They hold the rights to the name ObscurasIV and OIV.” Ulquiorra looked defeated in telling her this. He had signed away his fucking band name because he hadn’t been informed.

Her brows worried. “What are you going to do, Ulquiorra? It’s your brand. It’s your identity. I mean… If you want to walk away from it all, I will support you one hundred percent, but… But I know how much it means to you.”

This was surprising. Well, not really, but hearing Orihime say it made him feel somewhat better. “I have to talk to Grimmjow about this. He wants to leave Espada too. He has a problem with Tosen, it seems. Tosen doesn’t like him either. I also need to talk to Nan and Oetsu, see if I can’t get them to come with me.”

Orihime’s eyes widened in cautious amusement. “Are you going to have a Jerry MacGuire moment?”

“What? Show me the money or the Tom Petty song moment?”

She looked at him with a withering expression. “No. The ‘you had me at hello’ speech. No! I mean the part where he tries to get the whole office to come with him and only Renee Zellweiger comes. ‘I will come with you!’,” she said, mimicking the actress’ shaky voice and raising a fist.

A straight black eyebrow rose. “No. I just need Nan. Oetsu is oppressed there. He has to follow Gin and Tosen’s recommendations when producing an album. He’s been teaching me how to do that; produce music for others. I figured sliding him over to Soul Society might help us both out. I need Nan. I do. I can’t function without her, business-wise. Kisuke was talking about her being my manager. She practically does the job now.”

Orihime leaned back into her seat, her eyes relaxing and her smile widening. “You’re really going to do this, aren’t you?”

“I need to talk to Grimmjow, and he and I need to figure out a new band name if they won’t come off OIV. I’m thinking… IV slash VI.”

“Maybe work on the name,” she said, her eyes full of pride. “I love you, Ulquiorra Cifer.”

“You love me now?” He asked, teasing her. “I love you too, Orihime Cifer. I hope this birthday makes up for the other ones I missed.”

“You know, people have babies everyday. I’m sure they can handle it on their own,” she said, getting up and getting into his lap. “Best birthday ever,” she said into his ear before kissing his neck. Then her head popped back up as she had an idea. “Think anyone would mind OIV and Vega Highwell doing a joint meet and greet? I could stand in as a substitute for Grimmjow. Might placate some people.”

Ulquiorra smiled at her. “Are we gonna have a little bustime romp first or nah?”

“Hell yeah.”

***

Grimmjow was about to deck Ichigo. He was about to punch him. The man had knocked up their sweet woman and now he wanted to act like this was no big deal? He couldn’t deal with him. So now he was in with Hailey, rubbing her back. She squeezed the shit out of his hands and called him every obscenity under the sun and then some. She had a colorful vocabulary for being a wallflower.

Ichigo was on the other side of the door, pacing the waiting room. This was bullshit. Yes, Grimmjow was their family. Yes, he was going to be a paternal figure in their baby’s life. But for fuck’s sake, he was the father! Just because he wasn’t freaking the fuck out and panicking over every little detail did not make him a lesser person. He had stepped aside, letting Grimm take over for awhile after he got into town, but this was ridiculous. He was trying to push him to the side. Like hell! He barged into the door right as Hailey was having a horrific contraction.

And then he saw it.

Grimmjow had his head next to hers, his blue hair lost in her blonde. She was holding one of his hands with both of hers while he rubbed her back with the other one and counted down the numbers on the monitor that predicted when the contraction would end. Throughout their relationship, Grimmjow had typically treated Hailey as an afterthought or an annoying fact of Ichigo’s life. This was the first time Ichigo had noticed that something between his two lovers had fundamentally changed.

He closed the door of the room and sat on the foot of the bed, waiting for Hailey’s pain to subside. When it finally did, he asked in a reverent voice and rubbing the top of Hailey’s foot, “How are you two holding up?”

Grimmjow stared at the orange haired man with tired eyes. “We’re getting there. Want to learn how to do this so I can sit down? I mean… You did this… Not me.”

Ichigo walked over to Grimmjow and kissed the top of his head. “I maybe started it, but we couldn’t do this without you, Grimm,” he said into his ear before straightening up and taking a deep breath. “Okay, show me the ropes.”

A slight blush dusted Grimmjow’s face and he kissed Ichigo back. “Okay, so...” then went onto explain what to do. When her next contraction came around Grimmjow was on one side and Ichigo on the other. Grimmjow supported both of them and Ichigo got through it okay except for the silent scream of pain etched on his face from Hailey grinding the bones in his hand to dust.

It was early Monday morning after a lot of hours of labor. There was a cry. 

“Push Hailey, come on. The baby is almost here,” Grimmjow said.

Ichigo was scared as he watched her. He had never seen someone look so powerful and so weak at the same time, and he worried desperately for both Hailey and the baby. He stood by her head, whispering to her how much he loved them all, and praying silently to whatever gods existed that everyone would get through it in one piece.

Hailey pushed one last push and the baby was born. September 5, 2023. 7:18 a.m. Seven pounds, six ounces. Twenty inches long. Lots of blonde hair. 

“Congratulations Hailey and Dads,” the doctor said as he turned the child over. “It’s a girl.”

Hailey burst into tears as the baby was laid on her chest. Ichigo kissed her and kissed Grimmjow and kissed her again. Then he stared at his daughter. He could stare at her forever.

Blinking back the wetness in his eyes, Grimmjow looked at the baby with a smile on his face and then he gave Hailey a one-armed hug and playfully punched Ichigo on the shoulder. He loved the man, although he was stupid, and he loved that woman, but at the moment he felt like a third wheel. He gave them a smile before walking towards the door of the delivery room. “I’m gonna go tell people she’s here,” he said. “Take a moment to enjoy her.”

“Don’t you go anywhere,” Hailey said to him, reaching out and grabbing his sleeve. “You haven’t even met your daughter yet. Stay. Other people can know when they know. This is a time for our family.”

Dammit, woman. He shook his head. She knew what he was thinking. Hailey had always been like that. Grimmjow sighed. “Okay,” he said coming back to their sides.

***

Ulquiorra looked at his phone as the plane touched down at LAX. “Oh my god, look at her, Orihime!”

“Hmm?” she said. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder and had not quite gotten her head together.”

“The baby,” Ulquiorra said, prodding her arm. “Lorelei Hailey Rodgers. Look how happy everyone looks. Even Grimmjow is smiling.”

“Awww,” she cooed, looking over his arm. “They look so cute! I wonder who picked the name. It’s pretty.”

“I don’t know. It is a pretty name, though,” he said looking at her. “Maybe... ”

“You want to stop at the hospital on the way home?! I’m in!” she chirped, unfastening her seatbelt when the sign indicated and leaning over to get her bag at her feet.

Ulquiorra nodded. It was like his woman read his mind. “You don’t mind? I know it’s been a long weekend, and thank you for doing the signing. I don’t know if I’ve thanked you enough for keeping people off my ass about Grimmjow,” he said grabbing his own bag.

“If I can help you, I always will. Remember? It’s a privilege, not a bother.” She smiled at him and kissed his cheek before standing and grabbing her overhead bag. Once again she had overpacked.

Ulquiorra smiled at her and took both of her bags from her. “Go, let’s get off this plane and into the car. We can go to the hospital and meet the baby and then go home… Maybe talk about some things?”

“Sure. Absolutely,” she said. He was being weird, but it seemed like a good kind of weird, so she let it go. Maybe he was just really happy for his bandmate.

They got to the car in short order and Orihime got into the driver’s seat; it was her car, afterall. After Ulquiorra had put the bags into the back, she asked him, “So who do you think the baby is going to take after more? She’s got the blonde hair, so there’s that.”

“It could turn to orange and then Ivan and Grimm will have another ginger on their hands,” Ulquiorra replied. “I don’t know. I hope she’s cute like Hailey and nothing like Ivan. Hailey needs one calm child.”

She chuckled. “Come on, my brother from another mother always comes through in a pinch. Plus, come on, he’s a good looking guy. You can’t deny it. If Lorelei gets his cheekbones and Hailey’s eyes, watch out Los Angeles.”

Ulquiorra smiled at Orihime and then looked at the pictures Grimmjow had sent him. They all looked stupidly happy and the baby was so tiny. This was nothing like when his sister was born. Evie was a great kid. She had two loving parents raising her, but Ulquiorra kind of resented her because their mom and dad hadn’t been together when he was growing up. “I know having a kid solves nothing, and Hailey wasn’t expecting to become pregnant, but they look… Joyous. They look so damn happy. Do you think Shu knows?”

“He might not. Do you want to call him?”

Ulquiorra tapped on his contacts and brought up Shu’s name. He waited for the man to answer.

“Hey, are you guys back yet?” Shuhei sounded a bit distracted.

“Yeah, any women you have in my house need to leave. We’re going to the hospital first. Hailey--”

“I know, I’m here,” he said. His voice was soft. “Grimmjow called me awhile ago. They are all passed out. I’m on Lorelei duty.”

Ulquiorra’s eyebrows shot up. This was news that Shu even knew how to handle a kid. “Okay, we’ll be there soon. Do they need anything? Do you know? Orihime and I can stop and pick them up something.”

“There is a gift shop at the hospital. It is stocked. You can just get something when you get here. I think they said something about nipple cream? And maybe a little stuffed animal or something. Ichigo’s parents aren’t able to get out until Wednesday; they weren’t expecting the baby this early, and with it being a holiday weekend, flights are booked; same with Hailey’s parents. Grimm didn’t mention his. Long story short, for now it’s just us.”

Ulquiorra said okay and that they would be there soon before hanging up. His mouth twisted to the side. “I feel bad,” he told Orihime.

“Why? What did he say?” 

“Shu’s already at the hospital. Grimm called him. He’s watching the baby while parents sleep? But I feel bad for Shu,” Ulquiorra said.

“How come? Did he sound stressed or something?” Orihime didn’t think that he would, but who knows how the baby was. She could be a screamer.

A deep frown came over his mouth. “I feel bad about him and the whole thing with Rangiku. I know she made her choices. I made my choices years ago but I still feel bad about trying to push them together or at least doing what I did to her. I don’t know.”

“Honestly? You should feel bad. That wasn’t something that anyone should do. I understand why you did it, even though I don’t agree. I know how you felt. And you were right; what Rangiku did was not something friends should do to each other. But yeah… Two wrongs don’t make a right and all that. I’m glad you see it now.”

He shook his head. “I’ve been seeing it, but right now it’s nagging at my brain. I want all of our friends to be as happy as Grimm, Hailey and Ivan are in those photos. Shuhei was happy. I want us to have that much happiness,” Ulquiorra said.

“Me too. Every day I spend with you is happier than the last one. And Shu is a catch. He’ll find someone who makes him happy, too,” she reassured him, patting his thigh softly.

***

Ulquiorra knocked softly on the door of the room they were directed to after stopping at the gift shop for a new mother’s basket which had a thing of nipple cream in it and a small stuffed unicorn. It was quiet but he heard the soft, “Come in.”

Orihime opened the door for Ulquiorra since his hands were occupied and first saw Grimmjow splayed out in an armchair next to Hailey’s bed, with his head tipped back and his mouth wide open. Ichigo was in the bed with Hailey, his ass hanging off of it but his upper body cradling hers. They were both zonked out. “Awww,” Orihime cooed at the sight of the three of them, her face crumpling as if she was being tortured by cuteness.

“Hey guys,” Shuhei said softly from the other side of the room. “Her eyes are open.” He was standing there, holding the baby like he did this kind of thing everyday, mindlessly swaying and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Come look!”

The sight tugged at Ulquiorra’s heart again as he put the basket down on one of the tables and walked over to where Shuhei stood. He was right. The baby’s eyes were open. “Wow,” he breathed. “She’s so little.”

Orihime stood half a step back. “Wow. You’re a natural, Shu,” she said, smiling at him.

He chuckled. “I’ve always had a way with babies. I don’t know why. They like to poop on me.”

Ulquiorra’s nose wrinkled. “Evie likes doing that to me. Well she did when she was in diapers. Oh look, Bubby’s here, let’s poop everywhere.”

“Bubby?” Shu’s brow wrinkled.

“My little sister can’t say my name, so my dad taught her how to say Bubby. So I’m Bubby.”

“Ooohkeeeeeey,” he said, ribbing the other man, then turning to his wife. “Do you want to hold her?”

“Oh, um, sure.” Orihime said, suddenly uncertain. She didn’t know why; she had had no such reservations about holding Ulquiorra’s sister. But that was different; she still had no interest infants at that time. She only cared about Evie because technically, she was her sister-in-law.

She held her arms out the way she remembered doing it then and Shuhei placed Lorelei into her arms. Her arms trembled. “Maybe I should sit down,” she whispered the suggestion. Why did she feel so uncertain about this?

“You’re fine Orihime,” Ulquiorra said. “You’ve held Evie after she was born. Same thing.”

She nodded but still made her way to a rocking chair in the room. The baby closed her eyes and started twisting her neck from side to side, her tiny hands fisting up and thrusting toward Orihime. She could feel tiny, skinny little legs thrashing inside of the swaddling blanket. Lorelei’s skin started turning red, and then her little face snapped toward Orihime’s bust, and she started rooting around, looking for food. Orihime looked up at the two black-haired mean with an alarmed, helpless expression. “Is something wrong? What is she doing?”

“Um, she wants a bottle? I think. I saw Evie do that to Maria and Maria gave her a bottle,” Ulquiorra explained. He looked around. He didn’t see any bottle supplies. “Is Hailey breastfeeding?”

As if on cue, Lorelei’s tiny mouth opened up and a loud cry, reminiscent of a bleating goat, tore through the hushed atmosphere of the room. “Oh, oh. Um, help.” Orihime was quietly panicky, looking at Ulquiorra or Shuhei to take the baby or Hailey to wake up.

Well, this was different. Orihime had doted on Hailey and the baby when she was carrying the thing, but now it was a different story. Ulquiorra came forward and picked the newborn up, supporting her head and cradling her to his chest. He was used to this because of his sister. His mom had him babysit when he wasn’t busy. “Shhhh, Veggs, can you wake up Hailey?”

Orihime had a sheepish expression as she watched her husband quiet the infant. She walked over to her mother and carefully brushed some hair out of her sleeping face, whispering, “Hailey? Hails? I think Lorelei is hungry.”

The woman opened her eyes groggily and nodded. “Bring her over, I can do this.” She seemed more determined than sure, but it made Orihime smile anyway.

Ulquiorra was no one to keep a child from his mother, so he carefully walked over to the hospital bed. The baby had grabbed his pinky when he was trying to calm her down and as he handed the baby to Hailey, Lorelei didn’t let go. “Um, Lorelei, I’m not gonna stand here and hold your hand while you eat, Girlie,” Ulquiorra said, trying to pry the little fingers off. As soon as he got one finger off and started on the next one she would grab it again.

Hailey smirked and looked up at Ulquiorra. “Looks like she has a little crush on Uncle Ulq. What were you whispering to her?” she said in a voice dripping with faux insinuation. “Don’t worry about it. At this point half of LA has seen all my business,” she said, opening the front of her hospital gown and pulling out a milk-engorged breast like it was a loaf of bread or something. The scent of her mother pulled the baby’s attention away from Ulquiorra, and within seconds she was latched on and feeding happily. Hailey closed her eyes and leaned back against Ichigo’s sleeping form again, smiling.

As soon as boobs came out, Ulquiorra whipped his head towards Orihime and stared at her. And when the baby let go of his finger, he snatched his hand away like he had been burned. “Uh, I told her I bought her a unicorn toy. I also got her a onesie that says, “I’m a unicorn. ”. Orihime and I also got you a mother’s basket. It has all kinds of stuff that I do not know what to do with in there.”

“Thank you,” Hailey said, her eyes still closed. 

Ichigo started to stir a bit and noticed the company. “Hey guys. I’m a dad. Fucking crazy, right?”

Ulquiorra shook his head, still looking at Orihime. He was uncomfortable at the sight of seeing that with his wife in the room. “You’re insane, Ivan,” he said.

Orihime approached Ulquiorra. She noticed what had set him staring at her like his life depended on it. She put her hand in his elbow and whispered into his ear, “I’m not going to be jealous about _that._ She’s feeding a baby. It’s nature. You can relax.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, glancing at the scene on the bed.

“Positive. It’s a mom and her baby, not a stripper.”

“Strippers are nice,” Grimmjow said from where he was. His head was still thrown back but now he had an arm over his face. “Hey Hime. Thanks for the ride. I’ll pay you back after the craziness dies down. Shu… thanks for babysitting.”

“You will not pay me back, consider it a birthday gift for Lorelei,” Orihime said concurrently with Shu saying, “My pleasure.”

Ulquiorra scowled and turned to his blue-haired bandmate. “What about me? I’m the--”

“Thanks fuckface.”

“There’s a child in the room,” Ulquiorra retorted. “Your daughter, you know.”

“Can you two lay off of it and enjoy the moment?” Hailey muttered.

Orihime’s chest swelled at her husband’s words. “You’re a dad, Grimmjow. How does it feel?”

“Sorry Sweets,” Grimmjow said before he lifted his head and gave Orihime a perplexed look. “I mean apart from having my hand squeezed by superhuman strength and being cussed at from one side of California to the other… It feels pretty good. I’m not doing tea parties though. That’s Ichi’s job.”

“I throw the bestest, fanciest tea parties,” Ichigo mumbled. “You’re all invited.”

Shuhei chuckled. “Okay, I’ll bake some crumpets.”

“I’m sure the dogs would come,” Ulquiorra said with a small smile.

“Ohhhhh,” Orihime nearly squealed. “We should get a huge bonnet for Princess and she can wear it like Nana from Peter Pan. It would be sooooo cuuute,” she said, using an obscene amount of vocal fry.

A smile played on Ulquiorra’s face. “Speaking of Prin, we should get home, although I kinda want to stay and chat more. Fur baby duty calls,” he said. “Shall we?”

Orihime nodded. “Call us if you need anything. Anytime. I mean it,” she said, going to give each of the new parents a hug.

Ulquiorra shook Ivan’s shoulder and then walked over to shake Grimmjow’s hand. He gave Hailey a wave. He knew if he went by the baby again he’d want to stay and stare at the little girl. “Shu? You staying? If you are, I’m gonna just order food when we get home and you can forage for yourself.”

“Yeah, I’ll stick around a bit longer and get these guys some food and then I have to run an errand and I’ll be back later.” He had a feeling that Ulquiorra wanted to have a bit of privacy.

When they left the hospital, Ulquiorra looked at Orihime and said, “I want a baby.”


	29. Chapter 29

"Hi everyone and welcome to The Rumor Mill. I'm your host, Rangiku Matsumoto, with my lovely co-host, Shinji Hirako!" 

Shinji pressed a button on his side of the table which made applause ring out. "You might know me from the YouTube channel It'sRan! Today we're going to be asking my guests about the drama and rumors that are in their orbit. We'll find out what's true and what's not true. As always I've done my research and I'm not afraid to call people out."

Her co-host smiled at the camera. It was kind of creepy but Shinji was there to be comedic relief. “Today we have rapper Lille Barro with us. He’s signed to Espada Records and involved in a paternity lawsuit involving an anonymous woman. Also we have Bambietta Basterbine who will be joining us later. Sources say that Bambietta spends a lot of money each week to get high and intoxicated before shows.”

“That seems like a lot of money to just throw away,” Shinji commented.

“Doesn’t it? I mean kids take up money and speaking of kids, I’d like to congratulate Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez on the birth of his daughter? Their daughter? His partner’s daughter? I don’t know. I’m still trying to get Grimmjow to say hi to me without the obscenities,” Rangiku said, a laugh leaving her throat.

The blond man laughed too. “So who do you want to bring out first?”

“Hmmm, I think I want to talk to Bambi first. You know before the treats in the green room disappear.”

After the two hours it took to interview both people, Rangiku stretched as she stood up. She knew everything would now go into the editing room. The Rumor Mill didn’t give celebrities the questions they were going to ask on advance. Rangiku made sure that there were no canned responses to the things she wanted to know. These people had to think and they had to think fast in order not to look like a fool on television. She sighed as she went to the tiny dressing room that was attached to their small studio.

She had kept busy, or at least tried to. It had been over a month since she had had sex. Not true, Ran. She had fucked Accutrone twice. Okay, it had been over a month since she had mind blowing sex with a hot guy who knew how to please her. It had been over a month since she had been around a cock she wanted to be around.

Rangiku didn’t think about him too often. She occasionally drove past the Cifer’s house. She would walk around to different bakeries trying to see which one he worked at. She just wanted to see a glimpse of him. She wanted to talk to him. Before she got changed, Rangiku looked at the DM she had received.

**ObscurasIV** **  
**Hailey had her baby.  
I’m sorry about the Mila Rose thing.  
I’m a dick.  
I’m also sorry about Shuhei.  
I think he misses you.

Rangiku scoffed and shook her head at it, but still, she read it over and over. It was nothing. She had done the same thing to Ulquiorra. Maybe she needed to get dicked down by someone else. Maybe someone else would make her forget about Shuhei Hisagi and his issues.

The woman knew that wouldn’t happen. She wasn’t interested in anyone else. If she turned down that Renji guy and Kira, there was no way she would let another guy touch her… The voice in her head told her that wasn’t true.

Rangiku huffed and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, making sure her hair was pulled back into a ponytail before she grabbed her bag. She needed to get things from the store. She needed to stop by the post office. She bid Shinji farewell and that she would see him the following Wednesday when they started filming for the next episode of The Rumor Mill. Jugo told her that he would let her know how everything went.

Things were going good for her. Gin hadn’t talked to her at all. Accutrone kept his hands to himself. She walked out of the building and into the sunshine, glad that it would soon be cooler and she could get her winter wardrobe out of the storage facility and pack away her summer stuff. 

Oh! Her car needed an oil change. That was important. The last thing she needed was to go to Gin and beg for a new car. She could buy it herself, but honestly, if he wanted to be a fricken ATM, she would allow it.

So she drove to the grocery store near her house and looked at her list. For one second, she thought about what it would be like to go grocery shopping with Shu. What would domestic tasks be like with him?

She had to put a stop to these thoughts. She had gone over the Momo interviews and the Kira interview several times. What Momo described as normal didn’t sound like the Shuhei Rangiku had experienced. He wasn’t a drunk. He didn’t seem like a drug user. He was soft-spoken and quiet. He was caring.

He was scared of her. Not that it mattered. He was nowhere around.

Right, she needed food and drinks. Ash needed treats. Thinking about Shuhei wasn’t a good thing.

***

  * Do you think I should… I don’t know, wear a suit?



Ichigo looked at Shuhei’s text and rolled his eyes. He hadn’t slept through the night since Lorelei was born and now his parents and Hailey’s parents were in town and they expected to either take over the house, which made Hailey act like a territorial bitch, or they wanted to be entertained. It was nice that they got along, but they both acted like Grimmjow didn’t really exist and they got noisy and disturbed the baby. The last thing on his mind was this stupid release/tour announcment party this weekend. He didn’t even know why he was going. 

Oh yeah, that’s right, he got a big cover credit on Orihime’s new album. And he was going along for her tour. Why? Why again? He was a classical pianist. That was what he was trained to do. It was what he was passionate about. Despite his personality and presentation as a general fuckboy, he loved classical music. Yeah, he dropped out of college and moved to LA and got a recording contract, but he wanted to continue his studies out here… Life got in the way, though.

Not that he minded, he thought as he stared at his daughter. Since she’d been born, that seemed to be his, Hailey’s, and Grimm’s favorite game: Watch the baby. Stare at the baby. Sit around and do nothing productive but keep eyes on the baby.

It _sounded_ lame.

It really, really wasn’t, though. She was changing so much, so fast. She was only three and a half days old. They’d only been out of the hospital for a day and a half. But already, he could see how she was learning new things. He’d watch her open and close her fingers and wonder if she’d ever want him to teach her how to play piano.

Ugh. That’s right. Piano. 

  * IDGAF. Wear some costume from the tour or ask Hime. Better yet, ask Kirio. I told her to pick out something for me or I’m coming naked.



Shuhei shook his head when he read the message. He had asked Kirio. She was unhelpful. “Wear those black jeans and the silvered tee with the dark blue jacket.”

It didn’t seem appropriate. He saw what Orihime was wearing. It was much more put together than jeans and a jacket. Oh well. Maybe he should trust the stylist. He wished he had someone to talk to who thought he was important. He knew that the people in his life cared about him, but they were much bigger stars than he was and focused on their own issues. His seemed insignificant by comparison.

Maybe if he buttered them up first… Right. He knew just what to do. He’d go to the store and get some stuff to make a nice dinner and then maybe poke Ulquiorra’s brain about what to wear and how to act and how to talk to people. He was just a nervous wreck. He needed guidance. He needed someone to be needy with. He needed someone who let him be the center of their attention.

He wasn’t fooling anyone. He wasn’t trying to. Shuhei Hisagi was not some cool dude who walked around trying to act tough and be an island to himself. He needed people. Not all day every day but he needed people, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Recording had distracted him from this need for the better part of two months. The tour rehearsals were also helping. But this event this weekend was kind of a slap in the face, as far as reminding him how on his own he was, at least emotionally.

“Are you bringing a date, Shu?”

How many times had he heard that question. How many times had he said no? 

This party made him more nervous than all the recording, all the negotiating, all the rehearsals combined. And everytime he brought it up, people acted like it was no big deal. It was a big deal to him! That’s why he needed Ulquiorra. If anyone had figured out how to overcome a pissy, antisocial, closed-off personality and make it work for him as a recording artist, it was him. Maybe he’d give Shuhei some tips.

So off to the grocery he went. He was in the liquor department picking out a nice bottle of wine to pair with the beef tenderloin he was planning when he thought he saw a familiar person.

“Craig!” Rangiku called out, pushing her sunglasses on top of her head. “Hey, do you have any more of that chocolate cherry wine? I really liked it and it’s nice to pamper myself with a bottle or five,” she said coming up to a man holding a clipboard.

Shu’s mind just blanked out. There she was, looking like Rangiku Matsumoto, talking to good ol’ Craig. Craig, the bristly-moustached wine guy at the grocery store, who smiled at Rangiku as though her selection was not a travesty to the vine. But Rangiku had a way of making people fall in love with her. 

Shit.

Motherfucking cocksucking Craig. It was going to be that guy, wasn’t it? That Wurther’s Original-swilling, Wine Enthusiast-reading, grandad of the greenmarket Craig, who would illuminate Shuhei’s mind and help him understand why he had let a three-day fling bother him for over a month.

He had been starting to fall in love with her.

Thanks for nothing, _Craig._

So he did something stupid. “Hey Ran.”

She blinked several times and her spine stiffened. Rangiku thought she heard Shuhei. It was like he was right behind her saying, _hey_ , on a fucking Thursday. “I think I’m hearing things. So can you get me five bottles of that wine? I’m in need of it to forget someone,” she said with a chuckle to the older man before partially turning around. It was him. Jesus.

Yeah, it was totally, completely, stupid. _Fuck you, Craig. I’ll shop at Costco._ That’s what Shuhei thought as he turned and left, leaving his shopping cart right where it was. Craig could probably use the exercise, anyway.

Rangiku was glad she was wearing actual shoes; those flat bottomed ones that runners wore. She smiled at the salesman and told him she would be right back before she dashed out the door, too. “Shuhei!” she shouted. “Stop! Please!”

He stopped. “Remember me on accident?”

She slowed down before eventually walking and then halting in front of him. She was breathing hard. “Well at least I don’t have to workout tonight. Thanks. Did you greet me on accident? The last time I talked to you, you were telling me I didn’t want to be friends,” Rangiku said. “And you were telling me I was going to get people killed.”

He closed his eyes and sighed silently. He was already exhausted. “I did. I said those things.” _Because they are true,_ he added silently.

It would just take one or two more steps for her to wrap her arms around his waist and mold herself to his body. It wouldn’t take much effort to pull him down for a kiss. Unless he resisted, but he looked like someone kicked his puppy. “You made me cry,” Rangiku said, shifting where she stood. “I miss you and I have no clue why because you keep bringing it up that this was a three day thing. It was--” HUFF. “It was good and I enjoyed it and maybe you weren’t planning a future with me, but I liked waking up next to you. And I was enjoying getting used to the idea of letting someone in. Like a bit ago, I was wondering what it would be like to go grocery shopping with you. Stupid of me. Then I thought I’d come here to get a bottle of wine so I could drink myself into a stupor and pass out.”

Wow. He might be stupid, but she was on an entirely different level. What world was she living in that made her think her passing fancies would be enough to make him overlook the facts of her situation? He scowled and asked, “You done?”

“Yeah, I’m done,” Rangiku said. She turned around and put her sunglasses back over her eyes to hide them. She would go back to the fucking booze store and get that wine and something else. Something harder. 

“Okay, because the next time you want to have a pity party at my expense, go do it on your own. I have my own feelings to deal with,” he said, pushing off the sidewalk toward his car.

That made her stop. She turned around. She followed him. And when they reached his car, she used everything she had to pull him around to look at her. “What are your feelings? You have a chance to tell me.”

“You want to know? I’ll tell you!” he raised his voice and then grabbed her jaw and kissed her, hard, for just a moment. “I feel like that was not worth eight grand a week.”

Rangiku swallowed. Tears filled her eyes. “Thanks Shu, I know I’m worthless,” she said and turned around again. She shuffled away from him.

“No, you’re worth more than I can afford,” he said, opening his car and getting in, before slamming it and driving off.

***

He drove past Costco. He drove past the Cifers’. He drove until he accidentally found another Costco, and bought a take and bake pizza and five bottles of wine and drove back. He called Orihime on the way.

“Hey Shu, what’s up?"

“Turn the oven on to four-hundred twenty-five. I’m on my way home. Be hungry.”

Wow, that was different. “Okay, Shu. Yessir.” she said, hanging up and looking curiously at Ulquiorra. “I guess he’s cooking dinner?”

“Okay--”

Ding.

Ulquiorra looked at his phone and then his wife. He repeated this action. “Um...” Itsrangiku sent him a message. 

“Um what? Is it mysterious man day today? What is going on?” she asked reaching the oven and setting the temperature.

“Ran just dmed me. I sent her a message the day Girlie was born and she just got back to me,” Ulquiorra said. “I’m being transparent.”

“Huh?” He had just said a lot of things that did not compute to her. “You what now?”

Ulquiorra sighed. “I messaged Rangiku the day Lorelei was born. She just messaged me back. I’m telling you so there’s no walls between us and you know what I’m doing.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Why did you reach out to her in the first place?” she asked, taking a seat across from him.

“I told you I felt bad. I was extending an olive branch.”

She smiled at him. “What did she say now?”

He tapped on the message notification. Upon reading the four messages there his mouth dropped open. “Holy shit. It’s Rangiku, He doesn’t miss me. I don’t know how much truth there was to Momo’s words but you don’t grab someone by the face, kiss them like that and then tell them you don’t want them because you can’t afford them. Fuck you Cifer.”

“Wow,” Orihime said, her mouth forming an o and holding the expression long after she finished the word.

“I was just trying to make things right, Orihime. But,” Ulquiorra looked at her. “You get to deal with him. Unless he asks for my help, this is all on you. You’re his savior. You can fix this… Maybe...”

She pulled her lips out to the side, showing her teeth in an unsure expression. “Yeah, probably not,” she said. She got up from her spot and walked around the island to where he sat and put her arms around his neck from behind. “It was nice of you to try. We can’t help it if they are crazy.” She kissed the back of his neck and then set her chin on his shoulder.

“We were a different brand of crazy,” Ulquiorra said, leaning his head against her. “Ran and Shu are older than us. Shu’s been through shit. Ran… well… If she’s dealt with Aizen and Gin, she’s--”

“--She’s been through shit.”

“We fucked up.”

“We pushed, but we’re not as influential as we’d like to believe, I think. They made the decisions. They decided to get involved. They decided to end it. Maybe not mutually, but,” Orihime sighed. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told her, and you can be the judge, okay? Because I think she just gravitates to the worst case scenario and ignores everything else.”

“Wait a minute. Think about what you said to her and if someone said that to you or to me. You told her to kick Shu to the curb, right?”

“Not exactly. You need to hear it in context. She told me she was Gin’s sugar baby and that he paid her eight grand a week. I was quiet for a moment and then told her, exactly, that she should ‘cut Shu loose’ or he is going to get hurt. Then she got all weepy and she accused me of being a judgmental bitch, and I stopped her and told her maybe she should consider cutting Gin loose instead, because she would be happier. She just sobbed and left. I didn’t make the choice for her to leave Shu. She decided to keep her arrangement.”

Ulquiorra sighed. From the perspective of a broken or fucked up person, he could see that Orihime had caused this. She had basically told Rangiku that she didn’t deserve to be happy. That’s what his brain thought. Applying logic though, Orihime was right. Shu was hurt regardless if they were together or not though. “No one is happier Orihime,” Ulquiorra replied. He wormed his way out of her embrace and shook his head. “I’m going downstairs. Yell if you need help with Shu, okay?

***

Orihime was pissed. Now he was blaming her? Taking Rangiku’s side? Did both he and that gossiper just ignore the fact that stopping the arrangement with Gin was a possibility? You know what? It wasn’t her problem. She was washing her hands of it. She went down to the pool house and put on a bikini and went back upstairs and got herself one of Ulquiorra’s beers. She was tapping out of this drama. She went down to the pool and threw a floaty out onto it and jumped in. What were they gonna do, fish her out and make her play camp counselor? Not today, Satan.

Shuhei came home about twenty minutes later and looked around the main floor. Yeah, the oven was on, but the rest of the house was deserted. He stood there quietly for a moment. He could hear the dogs downstairs and Ulquiorra grumbling at them for disturbing him. He caught a glimpse of something bright pink from outside. Oh. There was Orihime, pretending there was still direct sunlight on the pool, floating on her flamingo floatie. Drinking a brewski.

That sounded awesome right about now. 

He put the pizza in the fridge and let the oven stay heated, went to his room and put on some swim trunks, grabbed a beer and walked out to the pool. He didn’t say a word to Orihime as he grabbed another floatie, this one shaped like a wedge of watermelon, and threw it into the pool, then jumped into it sideways, aiming for the float. He missed, splashing everywhere. He pulled his wet body up onto the float and paddled back over to his beer. This was nice. Everyone just chilling out, drinking beers and ignoring each other. This he could take.

Orihime finished her beer about twenty minutes later. She still hadn’t said anything. But now she needed to pee and needed another drink. “Shu, you empty?”

  
“Yep.”

“Beer ya?”

“Sure. Otherwise crack open a couple of those wine bottles and get the long straws. We can be super classy.”

“I like how you think, Hisagi.”

Less than ten minutes later, she was back in the pool, and each of them had their own bottle of wine with a long, twisty straw coming out of it. Classy AF.

Ulquiorra emerged from his basement cave and went upstairs. He hadn’t been asleep, he knew that much. Why the hell hadn’t someone come to bother him. Oh well. He was hungry and there was wine. They never drank wine—okay Orihime drank wine. Ulquiorra knew that he liked beer and screwdrivers and vodka. His wife’s car was still there. No one left. He had heard Shuhei come in. Maybe he had a bad day of kissing people and insulting them. Since it had been several hours, he decided to let the dogs out. “C’mon puppies, let’s go potty!”

All the dogs followed him out the door and down the steps. He was about to go back upstairs to the house when he saw the floaties. He could have sworn he had put those to the side. “What the hell is this?” Ulquiorra asked as one of the huge things turned and he saw his wife. 

“Dealing with things like grown-ups, today. Right Shu?” she said glibly, holding up her half-drunk bottle of wine with a bright green twisty straw lodged in the neck.

  
“Cheers, bitch,” Shu said in a dispassionate voice, holding up an identical bottle with a hot pink straw.

The green eyed-man scoffed. “I tried dealing with my problems like this and it got me nowhere except a dead stylist and my mother shot. What the fuck is going on, Shu? What did you do to Rangiku that she’s been cussing me out over text messages for the past couple of hours?” 

“She what!?” That sobered him up right quick. He sat up fast enough that he slid off the floatie into the deep end of the pool. He held the bottle above his head as he tried to tread to the surface.

“Oh god, Ulquiorra, I think you might have killed him,” Orihime said, alarmed, and jumped off her floatie. She was in the shallow end, and was able to set her bottle down in two steps before swimming over to her friend and dragging him to where he could stand up and not have his head underwater.

Shuhei whipped his head back and forth, shaking the water out of his eyes and repeated his question from before he fell in. “What the hell is she saying, Ulq? She told me at the store that she wanted to drink to forget me, and then chased me out of it and blamed _me_ for making _her_ cry. She is a fucking nutcase, Cifer.”

Ulquiorra gave Shuhei a hard stare. “Well if you think that then you shouldn’t be concerned by what she’s saying,” he said. “I hope you two don’t have bad hangovers. You have that party.” The dry man turned around and walked towards the house.

“You don’t have to act so self-righteous, you know,” his wife called after him in an annoyed voice. “Maybe your new BFF is feeding you lines of bullshit. You know better than anyone how good she is at manipulating the truth to fit the narrative she wants to present. And you’re just eating it up, now.” Orhime scoffed.

“Oh, okay. Meanwhile I’ve seen the video of Momo saying Shuhei is some violent asshole who has anger issues and Rangiku told me what he did. I’ve had words with Shu. I remember what the fuck he said to me in Austin. I could believe that what Momo says is the truth. If he believes that Matsumoto is a nutcase and a crazy delusional bitch then why is he concerned with what the fuck she says? Why? Why would you kiss someone and then tear them down like that?”

“I DIDN’T TEAR HER DOWN! SHE IS CRAZY! SHE ASKED HOW I FELT. I TOLD HER I WOULD TELL HER. I KISSED HER AND TOLD HER I FELT THAT SHE DIDN’T THINK IT WAS WORTH EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS A WEEK!” Shuhei screamed. “Fuck! It was her choice to take the money, Ulq. Hers alone. She _chose Gin_.”

Ulquiorra was quiet for a moment. He wasn’t proud of himself. He hated himself as much as the next person. But he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He tapped on the screen. He sighed as he pressed on the words there. 

Rangiku’s voice filtered from the phone. “I’m getting away from him. I--”

“Are you pulling a Jerry Macguire?”

“What?”

“Nothing, something Orihime told me. Why are you telling me this? I’m like your nemesis. You’re mine.”

There was a small sob. “Shuhei said he couldn’t afford me. If no one is paying me… I don’t know. I need someone to talk to and you’re the most antisocial person ever. No one would believe you if you ran your mouth about me.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“He looked at me like he hated me. It took me back to what Momo said. It doesn’t add up. Shuhei isn’t that person that she said he was. Also, he has asshole friends.”

“Asshole friends?”

“Yeah the guy with the weird eyebrows promised he could keep me busy all night. Like where have I heard those words before. Shu said them to me. Then that Kira guy said he’d be my friend if I was gonna be in town for a while and I was going to talk to his mom--”

It was there Ulquiorra stopped the audio. “Well?”

Orihime looked at Shu with wide, terrified eyes. He glanced at her for a moment and back to her husband. “What the fuck is wrong with her? She went to Ohio? She was going to talk to my mother? She talked to all those dickholes and she has the balls to be mad at me? Jesus I’m a moron. When does this tour start, Orihime? I need to get as far away from nuts as I can. It’s dragging me down with it.”

Orihime closed her eyes and sighed. She agreed with him, but she wasn’t going to get into it if she could avoid it.

Ulquiorra sighed. He knew he was a dick for recording the phone call but this was stuff he could use. Then again… The woman sounded scared. She sounded hurt. He thought she sounded a lot like Orihime. “You have less than seven days, please make sure your bags are packed, Hisagi.”

“What are you saying, Ulquiorra?” Orihime asked sharply.

“Nothing, just if he wants to leave he should make sure his stuff is packed.”

She huffed and got out of the water. “I’m done for tonight. Goodnight, Shu,” she said, picking up her bottle and walking toward the poolhouse to grab a towel before going directly to the downstairs bedroom from outside.

Well, he didn’t want to be the only one in the water. He followed Orihime’s example, but instead of going back inside after wrapping up in a towel, he sat on one of the lounge chairs around the pool. “You know what the worst part is, Ulq?” he asked in a quiet voice, looking out over the property.

“What?” Ulquiorra asked as he sat down on the chair beside Shuhei. “The helplessness you feel?”

“No.” Shuhei frowned. The other man was way off. Shu wasn’t going to tell him anything after he said something like that. He had set him up to sound like an asshole.

“Shu, come on tell me. I feel helpless I can’t help you with this. People keep trying to throw gas on the fire while you’ve got a squirt gun, trying your best to put it out,” the other man said.

  
  
Shu sighed and shook his head. “I can’t expect you to understand. Guys like you and Craig… You see a pretty girl cry and then it’s all “poor Ran, the big bad Shu hurt her feelings.” Come the fuck on. What about my feelings? I’m not the one who led her on and talked big while being totally and completely unavailable. I’m not the one who is _still_ collecting from a guy who wants to own me. I’m not the one going after all known associates and collecting evidence against her. I mean, call me unromantic, but this is not fucking normal.”

“Do you want to hear the rest of the phone call?”

“Do I? I really doubt it at this point.”

He pressed play, “--I didn’t talk to his mom.I went back and talked to Momo who was drunk at that point and she said that Shu was always hung up on Orihime and she showed me this video that she already showed me of him crying over her. He looked… I don’t know. He’s scared of me and now I’m scared of him.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“I’m not following you Ran. You’ve let a lot of cracks show up in your perfect demeanor since you met Shuhei.”

“That’s it. Right there. I’m acting crazy because I’m--I don’t know--obsessed with him. I keep thinking about him. It’s not healthy. I got this job because I want to get away from Gin. I want to be my own person and I want to make my own choices and if I’m broke I’ll find a Steve--”

“Don’t marry a Steve.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“The point is, I know a lot about Shuhei. A lot. I went to Ohio to talk to Momo because she could give me more insight on what happened. I figured if I met with her and I talked to her I could keep from doing everything that drove Shuhei away from her and guess what?”

There was a sigh. “What?”

“I’m doing the same thing. I’m being emotional and crazy and I just want to tell him that I’m sorry but I don’t think he’ll care.”

Ulquiorra stopped the audio again. “A lot of women are crazy. Nel, Nemu, Momo, my mom. I can’t escape it at times.”

“You talk about your wife in those words? My mother? Because I’ll fucking bury you where you sit if you try to paint all women with the same brush as those fuckwads.”

“No, my wife is a different kind of crazy. She’s passionate. She’s wonderful. She’s amazing. She can be overzealous. I don’t remember your mom so I’m not going to say anything about her. I meant the women in your life at that moment.” He sighed. “I’m not making sense. Too many fucking people invading my bubble and causing stress. I don’t think Rangiku thought she would catch feelings for you. This is unexpected.”

“Maybe. But I’m not going to apologize for not believing she wants to change until I see it. She lied to me about something that is…” He sighed. He was lying to her too. He shook his head. “I know I’m lying to her, too. I told her I was a baker. That I had a job, here in LA, as baker. So it’s not the fibbing that is the issue here. It’s that she played me. She wanted me to worship her. I fucking did. She wanted me to live this fantastical make-believe boyfriend life while she still fucked Gin and collected her obscene paycheck. She still would if she thought she could succeed. She wants her cake and eat it too and once feelings get involved, it can’t work.”

Ulquiorra nodded. He sighed too. “You don’t know that. I’m not defending her and she’s not my bff as my wife puts it. She reached out to me. You don’t know what she would have done. It’s always going to be a what if now. You’ll work it out though, You’ll find someone else and be happy just like she will.”

“Yeah. I don’t know. She has to stop disrupting my life for that to happen though.” He looked up to the sky and laughed without joy. “I was supposed to be talking with you about something completely different today, and she fucked up that plan, too.”

“She said you spoke to her first. If you hadn’t touched her, she was going to pin you against your car and kiss the shit out of you,” Ulquiorra said. “I can’t give advice. I’m fucked up too.”

“Wow, you are really into this shitshow. I was trying to change the subject. Anyway, yeah I guess I did say something, but I felt it was kind of rude to bump into someone and not say hello, but whatever, you’re probably right. Lesson learned.” His sarcasm was subtle and he was pretty sure Ulquiorra wouldn’t catch it. The man couldn’t seem to catch Shuhei’s meaning when he was being straightforward; how could he be expected to understand facetiousness? 

Shuhei decided it wasn’t worth explaining. He stood up and stretched. “Fuck it’s late. I’ll just wing it tomorrow, I guess. Oh, I never cooked that pizza and I’m willing to bet that the oven is still on, so help yourself if you’re hungry,” he said, walking toward the house.

“Hey Shu? I live for gossip and drama, as long as it doesn’t involve me.”

“Ha! Well lucky for you, I happened to land in your lap right when I had the motherload of gossip and drama dumped into mine. Bon Appetit,” Shu replied with a bow.


	30. Chapter 30

Yoruichi stood on a stage in a lavishly decorated ballroom wearing a shimmering purple sequined cocktail dress. She looked out at the crowd below her to see a sea of familiar faces. Of course there were the executives from Soul Society Music Group. There were people from Sternritter Recordings. There were Gin, Tosen, Maria, and Nanao, among others, from Espada Records. Ulquiorra stood close to the stage with his father.

Alongside the group from Espada were some of their recording artists; that new one with pink hair, the long-haired, face-mask wearing screamo guy, and some other familiar faces. Ah yes, Mila Rose. Good. She knew how to create buzz.

She held up a glass and stepped up to a microphone. “Thank you for coming tonight, ladies and gentlemen,” she began. “I’d like to propose a toast. It has been a very good year for Soul Society Music Group. Thank you all for your interest and support in our family of recording artists, and your collaboration and cross-promotional efforts. Cheers!” she raised her glass and took as sip as the crowd followed suit.

“I also have a few exciting announcements to make. Today marks the release of two new albums! The first by our beloved Vega Highwell, her new album, _Kingdom_!” The woman clapped and and crowd began to applaud as a recording of Orihime’s voice flooded the space over amplifiers, the chorus of her first single playing a tension-filled, emotional section of the song, then faded out as Orihime joined Yoruichi on the stage in a pair of black leather leggings and a gauzy black layered sleeveless tunic.

The second album being released today is by a newly signed artist. He will be joining Vega on a six-month, forty-city tour! Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Shuhei Hisagi, and his debut album, _Second Chances_!” Again there was applause, song, and the Shuhei walked out to the stage to stand beside Orihime, wearing expensive, artfully ripped jeans, and the t-shirt and jacket combo that Kirio had suggested. In theory, both he and Orihime appeared underdressed, but their wardrobe had been carefully selected and was not off the rack. After he arrived at Orihime’s side, she picked up his hand and bowed with him again before letting go and giving him a congratulatory hug. Yoruichi passed her the microphone, and she began to speak.

“Thank you everyone. I don’t know how many of you followed me back when I was posting random recordings on YouTube, but if you did, you might recognize my friend Shu, here. He’s an amazing talent and human being, and I’m excited to be sharing the stage with him again for the next few months. We’d like to play a few songs for you tonight, so please enjoy the party, and please don’t request Freebird,” she said with a little laugh, before passing the mic to Shuhei.

He was not prepared. Shit. Okay, what to do? Oh. Maybe, pretend like he used to do when he was in middle school and imagined what it would be like to be on Sports Center. “Um, Hi. I’m Shuhei Hisagi. Um, I’m going to play guitar and sing. I do that. Um. I-- Thanks for being here!” He smiled and pushed the microphone back to Orihime with an embarrassed laugh. Those still paying attention in the crowd laughed along with him. Shu caught Ulquiorra’s eye before walking to another stage to the side that was being revealed. He gave the other man a guarded look; he didn’t recognize the other man’s expression.

He and Orihime sat at a couple of barstools. He played guitar and she played tambourine and launched into the redone cover of “Photograph”.

Ulquiorra had seen Mila Rose. The secondary gossip vlogger ignored him as she hung off Gin’s arm, working the room and kissing people’s asses. That was probably a good thing that It was Mila reporting on this instead of Rangiku. Usually Ran was Gin’s date for things like this. Why wouldn’t he bring her to this if...Oh...Maybe Rangiku was trying to get away from Gin. There had been a noticeable decrease in the amount of _It’sRan!_ episodes, and the clothing hauls had been totally eliminated.

He listened to his wife and his roommate doing their thing and making their magic on the stage. “It’s probably for the best,” he said.

“What, Ulq?” His father asked quietly.

“It’s probably for the best that Ran isn’t here.”

***

September fourteenth was a horrible day. It was only the second on the list of bad memories in Rangiku's life; nothing topped what Aizen had done to her. 

"Rangiku," the man said.

He hadn't called. He hadn't texted. He just walked into her apartment. That was a bad sign. He never just showed up. Gin’s days were perfectly planned.

She was sitting on her bed in her normal home attire; lazy clothes. She had no makeup on. She didn't look perfect. 

He was standing in her bedroom frowning at her.

“Gin! You should have called. I would have--”

"Can you explain why Soul Society Music Group just announced that Orihime Cifer just dropped an album and Shuhei Hisagi is one of their signed artists?" he snapped. "And this was the first time I'm hearing about it?"

What? What did Gin say? "Shuhei...No. He's a baker. He wouldn't lie to me..." She trailed off. 

"He? He? If he told you he was a baker and you didn't do your homework, you're not the powerhouse I thought you were, Rangiku. I put you in your position to benefit me. Not to just lay there and be a lazy fuck, both literally and figuratively, and shop. If you want my money, you're going to have to work."

"But--"

"No! I'm cutting your pay. Lazy whores don't get the price of deluxe models. When you prove to me that you want to do some actual work, let me know."

Rangiku looked up at Gin with hurt eyes. To an outsider hearing this news, one would probably assume she was upset about the news that Gin would only be giving her four grand a week instead of her normal pay. She could not have cared less about what Gin was saying. She was still dwelling on the fact that Shuhei had lied to her. He kept telling her that she had led him on and lied to him about things but he had done the same thing.

"They're going on a forty city tour. I have no acts lined up to compete with this right now. I'm losing money because you can't be a fucking nosy bitch like you usually are. You kept following this guy around. You went to his hometown and you couldn’t find this out?

“I didn’t--”

“Of course, you didn’t. Why would you think about other people when you’re so self-centered that you can’t look beyond a fucking mirror or someone’s wallet!” he scoffed and pointed a finger at her. “Sort your shit out or I will. That’s when you and I are going to have problems.” 

***

Ulquiorra looked at his wife. “Can’t you smuggle me into your luggage?” he asked. He would have been going with her, but he had some bullshit appearance to do.

“I wish I could,” she said, raising up on her toes to kiss him. They were still feeling on uneasy ground. They had had their second counseling session the previous day. It was slightly better than the first, but there were new issues to address this time.

***

“You are doing it again, Ulquiorra!” Orihime had said, frustrated that he didn’t seem to think that his hiding in their bedroom without any explanation and talking to Rangiku Matsumoto was problematic.

“You should put yourself in her shoes. You told her she shouldn’t ever be happy because of what she does! If someone had said that--”

“Mr. Cifer,” the therapist had interrupted.

“Yes?” Ulquiorra asked barely restraining his irritation.

“Your wife just told us the words she said. None of those words were telling this, um, _woman_ , that she should never be happy. Are you perhaps reliving your own past hurts vicariously through her and projecting on your wife?”

That earned the good doctor the nastiest glare that Ulquiorra could muster. It was partly that. It was partly because Matsumoto was in a bad spot. She had no one. Orihime was always telling him to reach out to others. Well he did, and his wife was saying pull back and try someone else. “I helped you when you needed me the most, Orihime. Yeah, Rangiku has been fucking us over for years with little rumors. She helped you, though, with Aizen and Nel and Michelle. I’m not saying we should be friends with her, but if she needs help out of this situation, we could help. If she takes a shit on us again, okay, no more.”

“What about Shuhei!? He’s our friend, too, and you talk to Tits McGee and suddenly you toss him out and switch sides. Who are you?”

The doctor raised his eyebrows and started scribbling.

“I’m the same guy who was broken in Ohio and needed you. I’m still the same guy who was broken down in Laguna Beach and in Austin and Miami and Charlotte and Columbus. Let’s say I sympathize with Ran a bit. I understand what it’s like to be alone in a situation that is terrifying. Shu had enough balls to walk away from whatever Momo’s trip was,” Ulquiorra said. He grabbed her hand in both of his. “It’s just my opinion, but I think he cares about her but he doesn’t want to admit it.”

“Whether or not you are right about that has nothing to do with us, though, and you’re letting it come between us, Ulquiorra. You’re sneaking around again to talk to her.”

His mouth formed a thin line. “How is it sneaking if I try to talk to you about it and we fight? You’re the one who brought Shuhei into the house. I was against it then; this is why. You get too involved.”

“Because you just announce that I should talk to him and then go hide in our room without telling me what you’re planning to do or that you reached out to her days before. I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or if you want to fuck her, Ulquiorra,” she admitted.

“Do you want to look through my phone?”

“No! I didn’t enjoy it the first time! I don’t want to feel like I can’t trust you. I don’t want to worry every time you’re not totally focused on me that you’re thinking about someone else; talking to someone else…” she sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. “You just don’t seem to get it. She was your “nemesis”, and now you’re talking to her in private. It’s not normal.”

“It’s called trying to make friends, but I’ve not spoken to Ran since the night you and Shuhei got drunk in the pool. But you’re right. I should push everyone away and make you the only person in my life,” he stated. “Welcome to marriage. Maybe you should tighten my leash.”

“Oh! Ha ha. That is fucking hilarious coming from you,” she said, in rare form. “I can’t even look at a man you don’t know without you spiraling into depression or getting angry at me. Besides, I thought you liked the leash,” she added under her breath and sparing him a wounded look.

Ulquiorra sat back and huffed. “I feel like I can’t look at anyone because you’ll worry that someone is just dragging me along for the ride. But you have friends. You have male friends. I only have you and our dogs. Shu hates me. Ivan is so fucking tired from his kid he doesn’t pay attention. Grimmjow doesn’t exactly like me. Excuse me if I can relate to Matsumoto thinking she’s worthless and talk to her!”

“If I may,” Dr. Tsukishima interrupted, “I’d like you both to dial it back for a moment. You both sound triggered and are not listening to one another. It’s understandable when you’re feeling vulnerable to want to throw up walls around yourself to protect your feelings. But you need to remember, you’re married to this person. It is the most intimate relationship you have. You need to be able to communicate honestly with each other without fear of rejection or harsh judgment. I’d like for you to do an exercise, if you don’t mind. Could you do that? Could you turn your chairs to face each other?”

Orihime’s face was hot but she took a deep breath and did what the doctor said, her eyes looking at her hands.

This was bullshit, but Ulquiorra did as the doctor suggested.

“Good. Now I want you to look at one another. I want you to look at the other’s face and think about all the things you love about that person. Don’t say anything, just think. Go ahead.”

Orihime was not sure about this, but she looked up as the doctor told her. The look on her husband’s face made her feel like shrinking, but she looked anyway.

Ulquiorra was already studying her. He had a list of infinite reasons why he loved her. Just focusing on her made his favorites pop to the surface. He was still scowling though.

Orihime looked away. “This isn’t working, doctor, he isn’t--”

“I insist, Mrs. Cifer. Don’t worry about what he is doing. Focus on your own thoughts and feelings, please.”

She swallowed hard and looked back. This was hard. She felt pressure from his disapproving expression. A hint of a pout formed on her face, but she took a deep breath and thought about the reasons she loved him. It took some time. The doctor let this go on for several minutes.

“Alright,” the doctor said after the time had passed. “Now, I want you each to think for a moment about what you want the other to hear, what you want to communicate. But this time, I want you to remember that you love each other, and explain how you feel with those feelings under your feet. Mr. Cifer, why don’t you go first?”

Great way to throw him under the bus, doc. Ulquiorra took a deep breath. “I want to help someone. Gin is like your Aunt. You said so yourself. If Ran wasn’t around him, maybe she’d stop the bullshit rumors and lies; focus on her own life and stay out of ours. I relate to her. I mean I can relate to her feelings. I do not want to have sex with her or anyone else. I love you. I want to raise a human with you. I want to be with you until time stops. Just because I’m trying to help someone along, doesn’t mean I’m going to leave you or forget about you. Matsumoto is too much for me, and besides, she’s pretty hung up on Shu.”

“That was good,” the doctor said. “That was a lot of information. Now, I want you to distill it to the minimum essence of what you want your wife to understand. Not your plans or your concerns, just the feeling that you want her to take to heart. I’ll let you think on it until you’re ready. Let me know.”

He had to refrain from giving the guy another nasty stare. This guy was supposed to be helping and Ulquiorra was paying him enough to just analyze them and sort their shit out, setting them on the path of happiness. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere,” Ulquiorra said to Orihime. “I don’t want anyone else.”

The effect was immediate. Orihime’s expression opened up and her posture relaxed. 

“Good. Now it’s your turn, Mrs.Cifer.”

“I worry about it when you become secretive. I don’t like feeling that way. I don’t like it when you surprise me with the fact that you were talking to her all day and then come up and seem to side against me and Shu without--”

The doctor interrupted her. “Mrs. Cifer, please. The essence.”

“I’m going to miss you. I don’t want to go on tour. I don’t want you to forget about me,” she said as tears streaked down her cheeks. She wiped them off quickly.

“Good.” Tsukishima said. “Now, can I just say, you are focusing on things that really have nothing to do with the purpose of couple’s counseling today. This other woman and your friend really have nothing to do with your relationship. They are distractions. I can help you talk through this if you wish, but I would be remiss if I did not tell you that. It’s up to you.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. He looked at Orihime and pulled up the sleeves of his long-sleeved t-shirt to show off the tattoos on his forearms. “How can I forget you?” he asked her. “I love you, Woman.”

The doctor smiled at them. “Did you work on the homework I gave you last session?” he asked, now that they were focused.

Ulquiorra turned and glanced at the doctor. “I thought about everything I did. I told Orihime everything I did and I didn’t get as triggered. I told her after the fact I did some things, but it was only hours or a day, not weeks or months later.”

He nodded. “And you?” he asked, turning to Orihime.

“The only time since our last session was when he went to talk to Ran. How he told me that I should deal with Shu on my own and just walked away, like he was giving me an assignment; like I was subordinate. It made me feel angry and hurt and resentful.”

“Okay. I think you communicated that clearly. Do you understand what her trigger was, Mr. Cifer?”

“Yeah, but--Yeah. I understand.”

The doctor rose an eyebrow at him. “But?”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just didn’t want to deal with Shu and his moping.”

A nod. “Of course not. And in real life we don’t tiptoe around our spouse’s feelings, nor should we expect the other to do the same. However, in this office, we’re looking at this kind of thing carefully and there is some tiptoeing involved,” he said with a soft chuckle. “Anyway, you understand how your actions affect one another. You need to work on bearing it in mind and remembering that all these outside factors are just that. _Outside_. Before you get all bent out of shape and angry at one another and think that it is a problem between the two of you, stop and consider that these issues do not define you as a couple. You can set them aside and come back to this place of loving and understanding and deal with these outside issues later, so long as it’s not an emergency, right?” He said with another chuckle. “Now, I understand you’re going to be away for awhile and we won’t be able to meet again for about two months when you have a tour break, Mrs. Cifer?”

She nodded.

“Alright. So my homework for you this time is to try to remember: Outside versus inside. Everyone else is not your marriage. Can you handle that?”

Orihime smiled softly and nodded.

Ulquiorra reached over and grabbed Orihime’s hand and then nodded. 

***

That tentative feeling of safety had buoyed her through the following day and a half until now, as they were getting on a tour bus. Shuhei had already gone inside with a curt nod to Ulquiorra, still feeling on the outs with the man. Orihime stood outside, waiting to be told she had to let go. “I’ll Facetime you tonight?” she whispered into his ear as she held him.

“Okay,” Ulquiorra said, trying to mask the tightness in his voice. “Please. I love you. I’m going to miss you. Text, call, send selfies and nudes, you know. Any time.” He gave a forced laugh.

She heard it in his voice and held him tighter, her body shaking. “I love you. I love you so much,” she whispered, pressing her face into the side of his neck.

Isane was standing a few paces away and was about to approach to break them apart. This was honestly one of the worst parts of her job. She sighed and decided to give it another minute.

Ulquiorra heard her. He backed up a pace and tilted Orihime’s face up, kissing her before backing her up against the bus. “It’s almost time,” he murmured, kissing her again, this time cupping her face, making sure she couldn’t go anywhere.

Her wet eyes looked into his, and although she knew there was no way she’d ever forget him, she tried to memorize how he was looking at her right now as the kiss broke. “Take care of the kids. Let me know if anything happens with Ran. I’ll try to be more understanding.”

He gave a nod. “Take care of Shu, okay? Isane! Can you take a photo of Orihime and I?”

She was there in an instant, phone ready, and taking a candid one without being asked. “How would you like it?” she asked.

“Text it to Hime,” Ulquiorra said, kissing his wife again. He finally had to step back. His phone started blaring like an alarm. “You have to go, Woman.”

She nodded. “Do you think this is ever going to get any easier?” she asked, giving him just one more hug and then backing away.

“Once I sign with Soul Society, we can go on tour together, I’ll make that one of my demands.”

She smiled then. “So you’ve decided?”

Ulquiorra nodded. “I have. I haven’t talked to the others. I will this weekend. I’m inviting Grimm and Hailey over, and Nan and Oetsu to talk. I love you. Please...” He didn’t know what the fuck he was pleading for.

She tilted her head and waited for him to finish his thought. “Please?”

“Come back to me. Wherever you go, whatever you do, I’ll be right here waiting for you,” he sang, a sad smile on his face.

Her face crumpled as she nodded and dove toward him, kissing him again and whispering “Always.” She would have kept it up, too, had Ivan not gotten impatient. 

“Oh for god’s sake, I have a newborn I’m leaving behind. You’ll live. Let’s go,” he complained tugging at her shoulder.

“Shut up or I’ll fuck my wife on your bunk,” Ulquiorra muttered and finally untangled Orihime from him. “Tell Shu I said good luck.”

***

The next morning, Rangiku pulled up to the gate and pressed the buzzer several times. She had to ask him. She had to ask Shu about this. She scoured the internet for information and sure enough, he had an album. She bought the digital version and the physical copy. She sniffled and wiped away tears on the drive over. 

Why had he lied to her? She hadn’t lied to him, but Shuhei had been lying to her since the beginning!

"Yes?"

"I need to talk to Shu. Let me in."

"He's not here."

"Where--"

"He and Orihime left on tour. They're gonna be gone for six months," came the explanation.

Six months? Six fucking months? Her stomach dropped and Rangiku banged on the steering wheel letting out the longest stream of cuss words she had available to her.

"Are you done throwing a fit?"

"No!".

"It's not going to change anything Ran. Move on. We are done getting in the middle of this. You fucked up. He fucked up. Live with it and learn."

"But--"

"Rangiku! You remind me a lot of myself with how you displace blame. You did this. There's no one else to point a finger at but you. He's gone."

She had turned around and drove to the studio to film the second episode of The Rumor Mill. She ended up getting into a fight with one of the guests and they had to cut the interview short. Rangiku sat in that tiny dressing room and listened to Shuhei sing. She could imagine him singing to her. He had sung to her. The first night he stayed at her house he strummed along on his guitar and sang to her.

“Ran, are you ready? The other guest is getting impatient,” Shinji said from the other side of the door.

Six months. That was practically a lifetime in Los Angeles.

When they were done filming, Jugo held up a paper check to her. “This will be the first one and only one you receive. The rest will be direct deposited. Your ratings went well. We’ve also uploaded them to YouTube and as podcasts. We’ve linked your account to The Rumor Mill.”

The woman looked at the check and then back at Jugo. Seven grand wasn’t bad for two weeks of actually working and doing footwork on people who had no involvement with her life. The best part was, she didn’t have to have sex with anyone for it.

***

“Hi! Grimm! Hi Hailey!” Orihime said, waving at Ichigo’s family, including little Lorelei, from behind the man’s shoulder as they rode on her tour bus.

“Hi! Say hi to Daddy and Auntie Hime! Is Uncle Shu around?” Hailey asked. It had been two weeks since the baby was born, and the blonde mother was starting to look like herself again. She still had dark circles under her eyes from late night feedings, but she no longer looked like she had just been through a war.

“Hi Lorelei! Hey guys,” Shuhei said, smiling in screen and then continuing on to wherever he had been going.

“How’s my baby?” Ichigo said, looking at his family. There was a tenderness in his voice that was usually not there.

“I’m fine,” Grimmjow said grinning at the camera. This was followed by a disgusted noise. “Hime, come get your husband. ”

“What are you doing there?!” she asked, her smile brightening up at the sound of his voice.

“He brought toys for our daughter,” the blue-haired man replied. “How you doing Ichi?”

He got up and walked his iPad to his bunk for privacy. “Oh, you know. The shows are shows. It’s a job.” He settled down and his bunk and his voice lowered, murmuring, “I miss you.”

There was more gagging then a thud as Grimmjow set the phone down. “I swear to god. Ulq’s a prick. He says he wants you to bust it open for him.”

“I DID NOT! I SAID NO SUCH THING, LIAR.”

“I miss you too man. Hailey misses you. Lorelei misses you,” Grimmjow said. 

“Everybody doing okay? She sleeping any better?”

Grimmjow shrugged and looked over at Hailey. “A bit better. I want to take Hailey with me this weekend, but a festival isn’t any place for a baby. I’m thinking about hiring someone to help her while I’m gone. Whatcha think? Hailey says no, that she has this.”

“Oh, I know you do, Babe, but we’d feel better if you had someone around. It’s a big house. I was actually talking to Byakuya about having his sister stay with you; just while we’re away. And just overnight and available if you need to call somebody. Orihime said Kisuke would be cool with it. What do you think?” Ichigo suggested, raising his voice a bit.

The top of Ulquiorra’s head appeared. “I can call my mom’s nanny person. She’s a real gentle, soft spoken chick named Ururu. Loves kids, too.”

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. “Would you mind your business?”

Ichigo smiled. He really liked Ulquiorra, despite the lack of reciprocation. “It would be really nice if you could, Ollie. I mean, Rukia is dependable and all that, but she’s not really soft spoken. A bit of a loudmouth.” His attention shifted to Grimmjow and Hailey. “Since he’s there, I take it you’ve made your decision?”

“Is it okay with you?” Grimmjow asked and then looked at Hailey. “I’m only a daddy emotionally, this is all on you two.”

Hailey pursed her lips. She hated it when Grimmjow mentally separated himself from the rest of them, but she let it go this time. “Yeah. I already decided on her when I was pregnant. Now Uncle over here is giving bottles and everything. Do you want to go get her?”

Ichigo nodded. He couldn’t think of anyone he’d like better to accept the honors. Maybe his sisters or something, but they lived across the country. “Hey, Orihime? We have something to tell you, or ask you, or whatever,” he said, going back into the sitting area.

“Wouldn’t Shu be a better choice?” Grimmjow asked in a slightly whiny tone. 

“Nope!” Ichigo said in a cheerful voice. “Oliver is my homie. He gets first dibs.”

The blue-haired man scoffed. “I like Shu. Ulq not so much, but if you insist.”

Ichigo raised a brow at his lover. “Yeah, I’m sure you like Shu. Slut.” He smirked at him before sitting down next to Orihime.

“I don’t hear you complaining--”

“Lalalalaa I don’t need to hear this!” Ulquiorra stated from somewhere behind the couple.

“Oh come on you guys this is going to take all day. Ulq, come over here and sit next to me, Orihime’s going to want to see you for this,” Hailey said, trying not to grin too big.

“What is it?” Orihime asked, starting to feel nervous and excited at the same time.

As soon as Ulquiorra sat down, Grimmjow looked at him. “Dude,” he said to the man.

“Dude?”

“Oh god. Hailey, do this. I’m not good at speaking to him without wanting to smack him.”

She shook her head, still smiling. She turned to Ulquiorra and passed him the baby and then put her boob away. She watched Ichigo squirm and grin and put his arm over Orihime’s shoulders and she sighed, grateful for this group of weirdos that she had, supporting her and her baby. “Okay,” she said, smiling at the screen, eyes shifting from Orihime to Ichigo and Ulquiorra in the small window showing the people in the room with her. “We’ve thought about this for a long time, and we’d like to ask you, Orihime and Ulquiorra, to be Lorelei’s godparents.”

Orihime’s mouth fell open. She was speechless.

Ulquiorra looked at the baby and then at her parents and the screen. It took him a moment as he patted the baby’s back, trying to get her to burp. “Yes, it’s a yes from me,” he said with a smile. “Veggs?”

She nodded and squinted. “Yes! Yes yes yes!”

“Okay, good that’s settled,” Ichigo announced, standing up like nothing had happened and going back to his bunk.

“What the!?” Orihime yelped. She got her phone out and facetimed her husband.

Ulquiorra’s face showed up, but he was propping the phone up with a water bottle. “Yes?” he said still holding the baby.

“Well? How do you feel?” she asked, her eyes a bit probing and a small smile on her lips.

“I’m good. I’m still the same guy, Orihime,” Ulquiorra said, still smiling. “Can we?”

“Can we what? Be godparents? We already agreed. We can’t take it back,” she said, knitting her brows but still smiling.

It seemed like the few times Ulquiorra had mentioned it, Orihime had laughed and brushed him off. “No, can we have one of _these._ Or can I kidnap her? She’s precious. And tiny. And--”

“That one is mine,” Grimmjow said. “Get your own.”

Orihime’s brows rose. He was serious. “Oh. Wow. I mean… You always said you didn’t want to.” She wasn’t really able to wrap her head around the fact that he was asking her.

“Yeah, but… It’s growing on me. Besides, if Ivan can do parenthood, I can too. Look at her!” Ulquiorra picked up his phone and moved it so Orihime could look at the baby girl.

In her heart of hearts, Orihime had to admit to herself that she didn’t get it. She didn’t get the appeal of the baby. She loved pregnant Hailey. She loved the nesting; the decorating and preparation and baby stuff. She loved kids, in general. But Lorelei--to her--was basically a lump of flesh that didn’t do much. She looked kind of alien. She smelled like milk or poop. But she looked at her husband’s face and saw something new in his eyes; something she didn’t understand but didn’t want to extinguish. “Well, maybe we can talk about it after my tour?” she offered, smiling with a blush.

That was progress. Ulquiorra nodded. “Right, not a text or phone based conversation to have,” he said in an affectionate tone. “I love you, Woman.”


	31. Chapter 31

Her birthday came and went. Rangiku turned twenty-seven years old. Considering the scene of the clubs and the social media demographics, she was old. No one did anything for her and Rangiku didn’t go out. She ordered a pizza and watched Tremors with Ash. It was kind of a funny movie, but the special effects didn’t hold up well. 

The part where Kevin Bacon said shut up made her think of Shuhei. 

God she felt alone. She was alone. Sure she had almost six million Instagram follows and five million YouTube subscribers, but being surrounded by that many strangers with no one to talk to made it worse. While she scrolled through the comments that wished her happy birthday she decided to be a moron again. 

**ItsRangiku**

Hey sorry to bother you…

Do you have those pics?

**ObscurasIV**

No but Shuhei does.

Idk you could ask him.

Rangiku sighed. That would be a conversation to have.

“Hey asshole who hates me, can I get a copy of those sexy pics of us so I can remember what a nice dick you have?”

He would hang up on her.

She eyed one of the bottles of wine sitting on her desk. No, she had consumed nearly half of a medium pizza. The calories would be astronomical.

One bottle of wine later, she unblocked Shuhei’s number. If she called, would he know who it was? Only one way to know.

“Hi you’ve reached Shu Hisagi. I’m really sorry I can’t get to the phone right now, but if you’d leave your name and number, I’d love to call you back. Bye.”

There was a beep and Rangiku froze. “Uh...uh...never mind.”

She was lame. She was a loser.

The show in New Jersey that night was wild. They were full of energy for Shu, but they were rabid for Vega, and she ended up doing two encores--one with Shuhei. By the time he was back on the bus, it was nearly one o’clock in the morning on the east coast.

Orihime was grateful; that meant it was only nine-something in LA, and she wouldn’t be waking up Ulquiorra.

Shuhei crept into his bunk and checked his phone. There was a new voicemail message. He dialed in and heard her voice.

She sounded much the same. Still bothered. Still stressed. He considered deleting the voicemail entirely, but instead added the new number to his contacts and checked her Instagram.

Apparently it was the last couple hours of her birthday. And she had reached out to him. 

Shit. That sucked. He felt sorry for her. He chewed on his thumb a bit and then decided the hell with it. He texted her.

  * was that you, Ran?



She was panicking, then the message popped up.

  * Yeah, it’s me ran! lol



He smiled. What kind of goofy message was that?

  * Nananananana, they say it’s your birthday! Nananananana a Happy birthday to ya! Hope you had a good one



She smiled at that.

  * I ate half a pizza and had a bottle of wine. Ash and I watched Tremors. Lol



Well, that was unexpected.

  * Sounds like a good night. :) What’s new with you? Heard you’ve been busy.



Her brain told her to do it. 

  * It would be better with you here, fucking me. Do you have those pics that Ulq sent to MR? I kind of want to relive that night.



That was probably going to get her blocked or ignored.

Ah shit. Shit. Shit balls. Usually he did well not thinking about sex, but this whole tour thing was a mindfuck. There were women trying to scam their way into the green room every night. At the insistence of some of the Vega Highwell instrumentalists, he had entertained a few. It didn’t go too far; he let them compliment and flirt with him, rub up against him while he was packing up and even gave a few kisses. But Orihime ran a tight ship and they never stuck around a venue very long, and so far no hotels, only the bus. 

All the teasing and the time and the memory of those pics and her body made him a bit more open to suggestions.

  * Yeah, they’re on my phone somewhere. What do you want to do with them? ;)



As if he didn’t know. She scoffed. The one perk to living alone with a cat meant she could be naked whenever she wanted. So yeah, Rangiku stripped down. She took a picture of her face with no makeup and then a video that panned down her body. Her next picture showed her ass sticking up in the air. Her stomach was fluttering with nervousness as she sent them to him individually. 

  * I’m going to fuck myself with the biggest dildo I have and scream your name.



Goodbye, brain. Hello, hard on. Fuck. This. 

He called her.

“Hello?” she said kind of breathless.

“You know what you’re doing to me, right?” He spoke in hushed tones. There wasn't much privacy on the bus.

“Um, maybe?” she said and smiled. “Why don’t you tell me, Shuhei. Did I turn you on? I hope I did. That was the point.”

“You’re evil, Ran,” he groaned, shifting onto his stomach. He hissed when his cock came into contact with the mattress. “You know you look totally luscious and fuckable in those pics. I wanna fuck you now.”

She giggled in a tipsy kind of way. It was flirty and kind of breathy. “I’d let you. I want to worship your body with my mouth again. I want to feel you touch me Shu. I want to feel your skin against mine,” Rangiku said and gasped as she touched one of her nipples.

He fumbled around his bunk, fishing for ear buds. If he took a single second to consider what he was doing, he would have stopped, but his mind was on autopilot. “Wanna show me?” he breathed.

“Absolutely. Give me a second.” There was some fumbling and she opened her toy drawer of the bedside table. The fake dick wasn’t as long or wide as Shuhei, but it would do. “FaceTime?”

“I’m ready,” he whispered, turning to his side and pushing his shorts down. He propped the phone up against the bus wall and looked directly into it as he grasped his cock as began to stroke slowly.

Rangiku appeared on the screen a moment later, naked and semi-reclined on the mound of pillows behind her. She was horny and nothing but him would be able to satisfy her. “Hey,” she said, her hand traveling down her neck to cup one of her tits.

“Hnngh” he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and then reopening. She could see his face, earbuds, and shoulders, but the light in his bunk was dim and he appeared almost in black and white. “Hey. Happy birthday, Sexy.”

“Thank you. I wish you were here to give me a present,” she said, letting the hand that was fondling her nipple fall to her stomach. God he was sexy. He was hot. “Are you imagining your hand is me?”

He wasn't into this kind of chitchat. “Too much talking. I wanna see you, Ran. Show me your body so I can imagine myself in it.” Again his eyes closed and opened and he bit his lip.

That demanding voice made her shiver and Rangiku brought her knees up and spread them, making sure that the phone’s camera was getting the area between her legs. Her hands spread open her nether lips and waited for his reaction. “I’m wet. I want to make you wet with my come.”

“Show me. I wanna see your fingers in you. I want to see you dripping off of them.” He was stroking himself a bit harder now.

Rangiku bit her lip and used the fingertips of one hand to gently touch her clit before her fingers moved slightly down. The hand was still spreading herself open so he could see. She shuddered as she gently teased her opening. Heat pulsed between her thighs as she pushed two fingers inside of her body, pulling them out again and bringing them to her lips. Rangiku made sure she had his attention as she licked every drop of wetness off them.

He hissed and his cock throbbed. “I want you to suck on those fingers some more and pretend it's my cock. Then I want to see you fuck yourself. Hard. Can you do that for me, Ran? I know it’s your birthday but I want a present.” He was definitely going to judge himself for this tomorrow. He’d never done anything like this before, though, and he was getting carried away.

“Anything for you, Baby,” Rangiku said. She got to her knees and moved the camera closer to her face, slowly letting her fingers sink between her lips. After she was done, her teeth raked over her bottom lip as she positioned the phone where he could have an up close seat for this show. “Do you want to see me fuck myself with a dildo or just my fingers?” 

“Warm up with your fingers, then switch. I want to see you stretched out on me, Ran. I want to fuck you until you can’t walk.” Fuck, he needed to calm down or he wasn’t going to last.

Looking down at the phone, Rangiku spread her legs until she was perched over it and began to tease herself again, fingers slipping in and out of her core, She didn’t need any lube or spit or anything. She was slick enough that she could bury her fingers up to her where her palm started. “Oh fuck,” she breathed. “I want you to fuck me. I want to be wrapped around you. I want you to come inside of me, Shu.”

“Yeah, Ran, just like that. I wanna hear you come. I know how you like to listen. Now it’s my turn.” He was starting to pant slowly and softly.

God, he was just demanding wasn’t he? That was okay, Rangiku liked it. She could listen to him give her sexual instructions all day. She knew how to touch herself and what to do to really get herself going. “I’m going to imagine this—“ she held up the fake dick “—is you. I’m going to fuck you raw, Shu. I want to feel your cock inside of me.” As she spoke she was working the sex toy into her core, whining and panting as she showed him what she was doing. 

“Yes, lover, show me. Let me see your tight little pussy swallow me up. You look so hot doing that. I want to bury myself in you, Ran,” he let the stream of consciousness go without thinking, his hand working his cock without worrying about whether or not he would last. The only thing he kept in mind was to keep his voice down, panting voicelessly for her as he worked himself up.

The wetness dripping down her thighs was obscene. Hearing Shuhei breathe and talk to her was turning her on more than she thought possible. “Shu, please. I want you to fuck me. I want—I want—oh fuck.” She cried out as her core contracted around the toy. She could feel every clench and kept crying out before screaming his name. 

“Yeah, baby girl, it feels good, doesn’t it? I’m going to make you feel it. I’m gonna-- ugh-- unngh--” his whispers choked off on silent grunts as he came in his hand, mouth open and eyes pressed shut.

Rangiku had to carefully remove the dildo from her body, feeling extra wetness trickle out of her. She didn’t care at the moment. She flopped to the side huffing, trying to keep some air in her lungs. “Shu?”

It took him about twenty seconds to get enough oxygen in his lungs to answer her. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

He chuckled and grinned at her, his eyes still closed. “Why are you thanking me, Ran?”

Right now she could ignore the fact that he had lied to her and scared her. Right now she was just enjoying this with him. “For letting me do that? For not hanging up? You probably have women hanging off you all the time now,” she said softly as she picked up her phone and looked at him.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. He had missed this; the soft, vulnerable, relaxed side of her. The side he had started to fall for. “I should be thanking you, Ran. It’s your birthday. And I’ll admit it, the ladies do try, but…” he trailed off, his eyes shifting to the side and his smile looking more embarrassed.

Oh he was adorable. Why would he be getting bashful now? “But?” she asked, not letting her hopes get too high.

“I dunno. It’s just kind of weird. I enjoy the endless compliments,” he said with a laugh. “But it feels so fake. Besides, Veggs cracks the whip; once we’re packed up its “Back on the bus, Shu! Ichigo! Stop dawdling!” She’s a slave driver,” he said, chuckling after he mocked the redhead using a high-pitched whine.

“Sounds like she’s trying to keep you out of trouble. Your charm and that smile, and not to mention your body… They could land you in hot water if you’re not careful,” she said still gazing at the phone, trying to memorize his features. 

“So, congrats on the new show,” he said, remembering that was a thing. “Seems like its a hit already. Is that why you weren’t at the release party?”

If they talked about this it would bring up the fact that he’d lied to her. She decided to be straight with him, “The show is honest work. I don’t really mind it. I have an employer and have to file taxes,” she smiled. It slowly dropped. “I wasn’t there because I didn’t know about it. Gin took Mila Rose from what I saw of the red carpet photos.”

“That was her? He was slumming it,” he commented, giving her a small, chagrined smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the album. I couldn’t. I had a non-disclosure clause in my contract.”

“You had to do what you had to do, Shu. I’m not going to hold that against you. You’re going to do great,” Ran smiled. He had said the same thing to her. She couldn’t help the burn that started in her eyes. “I know you are. You’re going to be a bigger star than your hosts.”

“I don’t know about that,” he stopped when he saw the wetness grow around her eyes. “I had to apologize, Ran. I’m still miffed about you keeping that secret from me. That was a big one. But I can’t lie here and act like I’m morally superior when I wasn’t honest with you, even if I couldn’t be. So, sorry. Also, don’t cry tonight. You want a birthday song?”

Sniffle. Deep breath. “It’s okay. Gin’s cut me off, practically, and I’m okay with it. Like I said, you have to do what you have to do, Shu.”

He did not miss how she tried to sidestep the truth. “Practically, huh? Well, I guess you’re right. We have to do what we have to do.” His lips pressed together and he took a deep breath before rolling up and out of the picture a moment. A few seconds later he was back, this time with an acoustic guitar in hand; she could see the frets and the top of the body. “What will it be, then? It’s getting late. You want a lullaby or something more birthday-ish?”

“I want Chasing Cars,” she said sitting up, pulling a blanket over her body. 

He nodded, strumming and tuning for a brief moment, before strumming the chords softly and singing in his sweet, soft voice, “We’ll do it all, everything, on our own. We don’t need anything, or anyone. If I lie here… If I just lie here, will you lie with me and just forget the world…”

Tears leaked out of her eyes, but damn... He could sing. He was singing to her, and out of all those songs on that album… this one spoke to her the most. She took a deep breath, knowing she wasn’t very good at singing. People always told her with voice lessons and auto tune, she’d sound great. No thanks. “Those three words, I’ve said too much, they’re not enough...” The band of pressure around her chest tightened. This song was causing her to feel too much.

He finished the song and looked at her, watching her anguished expression for a minute. He knew she was the same person he wanted to run away from. She was the same person who had practically stalked him and then tried to manipulate him with guilt trips and misplaced pity-grabs. That was Rangiku Matsumoto, but so was this. His heart twisted a bit in his chest and he set the guitar aside. “It’s really late here, Ran. I’m glad you called. Happy birthday.”

“Right, right. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to keep you up. You’re probably tired.” Rangiku nodded and wiped her eyes. Taking more deep breaths. “Thanks Shu.” The blonde bid him goodbye and hung up. She was already hating herself. He probably thought she was a cheap whore or something. He had brushed her off. 

***

Ulquiorra looked at Grimmjow, Nanao, and Oetsu, who were sitting around the island in his kitchen. “I have an announcement to make.”

“You’re gay and you want to come out. Sorry dude, dance card is full for me,” Grimmjow said with a smirk on his face. 

Nanao sighed. “C’mon you two. Knock it off. I don’t appreciate all the bickering. If I could, I’d hit you both with a paddle because you’re bad asshats.”

“What’s good, Ulq? Tell ya boy.”

“I want to leave Espada Records. I want you three to come with me to Soul Society Music Group,” Ulquiorra said. He sat straight up, trying to appear confident about this. Today marked one month that Orihime had been on tour. He talked to her and Facetimed her every night, but the phone sex and words of endearment were nothing compared to having his wife by him. He missed her so much. He couldn’t go visit her because he had some kind of event on Sunday. Ulquiorra saw no point hopping on a plane for a couple hours to see her, only to come right back. He was tired of Gin yanking him around.

“Okay,” Grimmjow said. “One condition—”

“Way ahead of you. I have four sheets of paper. If you decide to leave Espada with me you can write down your demands and I will take them to Kisuke. He will present the documents to Kyoraku and then they’ll go to Espada,” Ulquiorra said, handing the pages and pens out. 

“Ulq, you don’t want to do this.”

The green-eyed man looked at Nanao. “Why not? I’m being pushed out of my own band anyway. I don’t even own the rights to OIV or ObscurasIV. I was told the papers I signed last year were merchandise agreement docs. They weren’t. They were amendments to my original contract. Gin discouraged me from getting an agent. He’s punishing us for a fight. How is that fair to me or Grimmjow? Or even you, who has to tag along when Koma’s nowhere around? If you come to Soul Society, I want you to be my manager; not this personal assistant crap. You’re an awesome PA. I would lose my head if not for you, Nan. I would have killed myself in 2020 if not for you.”

The woman’s face turned pink and she looked down at the countertop. 

“We’re making more albums for less money. Soul Society is interested in us as a group Grimmjow; as musicians. Not just dollar signs. Urahara has assured me that we wouldn’t be jerked around there as we are at Espada. We’d be with our families right now, instead of fucking stuck here doing fuck all for fucking pocket money.”

“I want a part in the band name,” Grimmjow said. “I want some creative input, too.”

“Write it down.” Ulquiorra could hear pens scratching against paper and he turned to Oetsu. “Any complaints?”

“Nah, bruh. I’m contracted on an as-needed basis with them anyway. When we rolling out?” the record producer said with a wide smile on his face. “If we go to Soul Society, I ain’t gonna be soft on you. I’m gonna ride ya ass harder because they know what they’re doing. We gonna put out music, not sell-out shit.”

Ulquiorra gave a nod. “I wish I could get Wonderweiss--”

“You want Weiss? I can get ‘im,” Oetsu said. “Ain’t a damn person there ‘cept me who knows ASL.”

“Okay,” the green-eyed man said. “Okay.”

***

Rangiku looked at the man with green eyes and the red mohawk with an unhappy expression. He was absolutely dragging her on the show. “Wanna open your mouth again? I bet you could--”

“I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last person on this planet,” Rangiku said.

“You’d probably give me some kind of STI or gift that keeps giving,” he said with a huff. 

Bazz B was rude. He was an asshole, and as soon as Rangiku said hello to him and greeted him, he rubbed her the wrong way. Thankfully this was the last episode of The Rumor Mill they would tape for the month. 

“Are you this rude with everyone?” 

“Depends, are you a whore with everyone?”

Rangiku’s spine stiffened and her nostrils flared. This guy obviously wanted the queen bitch to come out. “I bet you think that act you put on will get you any woman you want, right? Well guess what. It’s not working on me. You’re an asshole, Bazz. I bet you’re the one who gives out STIs like they’re candy at Halloween. Let’s talk about what you did to Cang Du’s wife.”

Bazz was the first guest to walk out of the studio. 

After they wrapped up recording, Rangiku sat at the table and looked over next month’s guests. Instead of the usual folder with six pieces of paper in it there were only three. She looked up at Jugo who was looking over her shoulder. “There’s only three people,” she said.

“Yeah we’re pitching ideas of specials. Think you could get Nelliel Tu Oderschvank to talk?”

“She’s in prison!”

“We’ve already set things up for you to interview her, Ran. I’m going to let you pick who you want to do next month,” he said.

It wasn’t much of a choice. There was Mayuri and Gin. Mayuri was at some super max prison for practically butchering his wife at the time and would probably remain there for several more years or until he died. The man had gotten life in prison. It had been a miracle Nemu survived. He could escape. That was a scary thought. Gin? She didn’t want to interview Gin. She didn’t want to talk to Gin. She hadn’t even touched the money Gin sent her. She had cut up that card, shredding it.

Rangiku Matsumoto had turned over a new leaf. She wasn’t sleeping with anyone. She wasn’t accepting gifts or anything from any man. She had heard what Shuhei said. She listened loud and clear. She just wished he was closer than whatever his tour schedule dictated.

It was evident that their  _ thing _ that they had had taken a turn for the better. At least she thought so. If they could only interact with a few smiley faces a week, she would take it. They hadn’t spoken or talked on the phone to each other since her birthday. It was a step in the right direction. She had to focus on her show. Shuhei had to focus on the beginning of his music career. He had already amassed quite a following on Instagram. 

She wasn’t being creepy or stalkery. She was just keeping tabs and quietly cheering for his success on the West Coast. She tried not to lose her shit when she saw Shuhei posing with fans or tagged in fan photos.

He wasn’t hers and she had to remember that. A motel fingerfucking, three days of sexual bliss and a Facetime mutual masturbation session wasn’t anything.

Still. 

Go you, Shuhei.

In all honesty, Rangiku wasn’t mad about him lying. He signed a contract and he had to keep that promise. It wasn’t anything bad. But… telling her that he was a baker was kind of fucked up. Why didn’t he just say he was unemployed or something else? It was whatever. He was free to do as he pleased anyway.

When she told Jugo of her decision to interview Mayuri in December he finally handed her another folder. This had four pages in it. 

Let’s see… Hmmm…

Mashiro Kuna, the biggest brat Rangiku had ever seen.

Cang Du, to explain his side of the story that Bazz never got to.

Some flopped Youtube makeup maven

Shuhei Hisagi. Shuhei Hisagi…

“Why him? He’s a… a...”

Jugo smiled. “I figured why not drag him since you did all that dirt digging. I’m sure you’ve found something on him.”

Rangiku kept that fake smile on her face. She got changed after that and went home.

***

It was a week before Halloween, or thereabouts. Vega’s entourage had a four-day stop in Miami. Ichigo and Orihime decided to take a day to practice a new song, something that they might put on YouTube or work into her set; something a bit more classical so Ichigo would be more satisfied on the tour; he was already starting to whine because he felt this was beneath him.

Shuhei was free as a bird. He decided to go to a mall and maybe find some kind of kitschy flamingo-themed Miami stuff to send to Ulquiorra or something. Maybe something might catch his eye to put up on Instagram or something. 

As he walked through the mall, he came upon a novelty shop. It was full of nostalgic, throw-back printed mugs and T-shirts, movie posters from the 80’s, keychains with stupid sayings on them, things like that. He loved this kind of crap.

As he was walking through, he found something that he knew he had to buy. He had to buy two. 

He stopped at a post office on the way back to the hotel and shipped it off. He was glad he still had her address. 

He would save the picture of himself in the Tremors T-shirt for after hers arrived.


	32. Chapter 32

Ulquiorra rolled his head and cringed as he heard his neck crack. “Well?” He asked Urahara, who sat across from him. “Can you meet our demands?” He was exhausted. Playing two festivals last month along with appearances kept his energy meter drained. Orihime wasn’t around to help him recharge it. She usually encouraged him to do the things he loved, but since she was on tour, all he did was sit around, sipping on a beer and flipping through television shows. He played with the dogs, but he didn’t have the same enthusiasm that he usually did. There were another two festivals this month plus Thanksgiving coming up. It was bullshit.

“I was reading your collective list of demands, and it made me sad. Espada appears to have cultivated a culture of stifling their talent. There is little benefit to signing you as an act. At least not to you. You have the greatest freedom to be signed as individual artists with the freedom to create and collaborate as you see fit, so long as you fulfill specific production deadlines and content obligations. We have to be able to make money, after all. Let’s not pretend that this isn’t the music _business_ , because it certainly is. We do this for our livelihoods and that is the reason you are signed not only for a number of years, but a number of albums and/or singles.”

Urahara took a deep breath before continuing, presenting Ulquiorra with a contract. “This is why you and Mr. Jaegerjaquez will be offered similar, but separate, recording contracts. You are free to work together or separately, or collaborate with other artists. Your combined efforts will count toward fulfilling your individual obligations. However, how you do it and who you use to do it will be up to you. As for your other associates, we would be more than happy to hire Mr. Oetsu, and if Mr. Wonderweiss would be interested in working exclusively for Soul Society, we would snatch him up in a heartbeat. However, if they are more comfortable working on an individual contractor basis, it would be unnecessary to offer them anything other than a welcome.”

Then came the final part. “As for Kyoraku’s niece... This is the part that I am hesitant to talk to you about. It appears that he is anxious to get her into the fold at Soul Society and train her up into an executive position. That would mean taking her away from you. I know, from talking to you and Orihime, that this is an unacceptable outcome. This is why I have built into your contract a very healthy administrative staff allowance. Mr. Jaegerjaquez is also going to be given this option, should he choose to exercise it. Basically, what this means is that, in practice, each of you are going to be your own subsidiary of Soul Society, responsible for selecting the talent you want to use and the staff you want to hire. Just as in Orihime’s case, you are free to make use of the staff at Soul Society, and you will be dealing with Hanataro to coordinate your utilization of Soul Society assets, such as personnel and facilities. Our promotion team will run your campaigns and draw up proposed tours, but ultimately the decisions will be yours. We are here to cultivate you and help you succeed. It sounds all very noble, but basically we are here to ride along on your coattails. How does this sound so far?”

“It sounds like shit. I need an assistant. I’m not like Orihime and can do my own thing. I need someone to schedule things and do the things I can’t,” Ulquiorra stated. “Nan doesn’t want to be an exec.”

Urahara smirked at him. He was still just a puppy. “You seem to only hear the things that scare you, Mr. Cifer. Look,” he said, circling about three-quarters of page twelve of the very long document. “This is your administrative staff allowance. The only way you will receive these funds is _if you hire your own management_. In other words, _you_ need to hire Nanao. She will work for Ulquiorra Cifer. You will be her employer. Soul Society will provide you with the means to compensate her appropriately and provide a decent benefits package.”

Understanding came over Ulquiorra’s face. Okay, this he could do. “So Grimmjow and I part ways and IV becomes a thing. He can do his Sexta thing and we could collaborate? Maybe Orihime and I can do something? Shu and I? Ivan? All of us?” He was musing at the possibilities.

“Anything you and another artist or group of artists wish to do and are in agreement with will be sanctioned, unless it works against the interest of Soul Society as a whole. You are free to _not_ part ways with Mr. Jaegerjaquez if you wish. In fact, I would recommend that you continue your collaboration as your main project; your star is rising still with that partnership. It is your choice, though. The talent development team at Soul Society will have regular meetings with you to screen your proposals and advise you of what we predict will be the most successful ventures. However, let me reiterate, your creative choices are ultimately yours and will not be thwarted unless they threaten the financial well-being of Soul Society Music Group.”

Ulquiorra tapped the screen of his phone and Grimmjow’s face appeared a few seconds later. “What? Are you babysitting tomorrow?”

“No, and this is important. Listen to me closely,” Ulquiorra said. “I have the contract in my hand. We can stick together, but you’re free to do the Sexta thing or you can break off from me and do your own shit. It’s the same contract Orihime has. I think Ivan has something like--”

“YES! No offense Ulq but you’re a tight ass and there’s things I want to do with my man. I mean we can do our stuff, but--”

“Thank you, Grimmjow.”

“Oh is that all you needed? Will you babysit tomorrow?”

The green-eyed musician hung up and looked at Urahara. “I’ll have my lawyers look over this, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course. Take the time you need. This contract expires in thirty days, but if you feel you need more time than that, new papers can be drawn up. Kyoraku might decide to add some weird clause in there by then, though, so time is of the essence,” Kisuke chuckled nervously. “Anyway, I’m glad you seem pleased. Is part you you happy that Kyoraku wasn’t successful in buying out your original contract as the band ObscurasIV?”

The other man took a deep breath. “Um… This might be a bit confusing but… I’m glad I get to drop OIV. Yes, that name led me to Orihime, but I did fucking horrible things as Obscuras. I hurt a lot of people. Shedding the Obscuras might help me get past things and become a better person. I’m just going to have Mr. Kibune look over them and tell me if I’m getting screwed over. He’s a nice guy.”

“Excellent. Then if you’d like to tell your people, I could leave Mr. Jaegerjaquez’s contract with you--and you can relay our position to Mr. Oetsu, Mr. Wonderweiss, and Miss Ise--that will be all,” Kisuke said, packing up everything but two clean copies of each man’s proposed contract. “While you are there, if he finds the contract suitable, perhaps have him draw up a formal termination notice to Espada. It will save you the headache. Now, if you’re not in a rush, I’d like to ask you how you’re doing, personally.”

He could tell, couldn’t he? Urahara was always a crafty bastard. Ulquiorra sighed. “I miss Orihime. She’s my rock, and she’s not here. I’m… I’m lost without her around. Before she went on that North American tour, I was with her. Gin let me fly back for things that needed my attention. I can’t even leave LA without telling him. I cannot go see her, although I had time this week and she was in Miami on a break. I know that sounds lame but… It is what it is. And I’m in love with her and I miss her.”

Kisuke shook his head. “No, that doesn’t seem lame to me at all. Perhaps you can use your free time in a constructive way? Record her a song? Write her a love letter? Paint the master bath? That sort of thing,” he suggested with a laugh. “Although Yoruichi would probably have my fingers removed if I touched her walls with a paintbrush, but I digress.” He smiled at the other man.

“Actually… Give me the pen. I trust you. I have to trust you. You said you have Orihime’s best interest at heart and thus mine. You’re not gonna fuck me over because then you’d be screwing over Orihime and let’s face it, Claire fucked up her life enough.”

The older man’s face grew a bit darker. “I’m glad you are getting away from Gin Ichimaru, Ulquiorra. He likes to collect and exploit people. He’s broken plenty of good people over the years. It is a great, personal relief to me that you are escaping him with only your band name taken from you,” he said, watching the younger man sign. He did not stop him, but said, “Take it to your lawyer anyway. Make sure you understand it.”

Ulquiorra knew this. He just wished the Gossip Queen of YouTube would figure this out.

***

Rangiku looked at the package she had in her hands, turning the small box over. It had Shuhei’s name in the corner, written in tiny writing. He had inked her name on the box with such care, but it was such tiny script. How did his hand not cramp? 

She wasn’t used to being an early morning person. With it being nine in the morning and the first thing she did that day was retrieve her mail in flowered pajama pants and a hoodie, Ran wasn’t exactly thinking when she called him. 

“Hello? What’s up, Ran. Oh! Did you get my package?” he laughed. “Sorry, it’s a silly thing but I couldn’t _not_ get it when I saw it.”

“Shhhh, I’ve not opened it yet. I just got it from the office of my building and saw your name on it...” Rangiku tore the tab off the box and opened it, pulling out a black shirt and snapping it open. “Oh my god. Shuhei this is...” Dammit. Already she could feel herself being pulled to the other man. He had bought her something. She had to bite her lip to keep from saying something really stupid. 

He laughed in an embarrassed kind of way. “You are not obligated to wear it, _ever._ But I thought it would make you laugh, so there you go.” 

“I’m going to wear it. I’m gonna take a pic of me wearing it, post it on Instagram. After I put on a bra, but--This is the nicest and most thoughtful gift anyone has ever bought me. Thank you ba--Shu. Thank you.”

“Psssht. You’re teasing me now. But you’re welcome. I’m glad it put a smile on your face. So, uh, I hear you and Cif have been kind of buddy-buddy lately. Is he really that good a listener?” He couldn’t help it. It had been nagging at him that she would confide in him of all people.

Rangiku laughed. “Not really, but he tells me what a brat I am. He tells me I try to shift blame on other people. He told me to move on,” she said putting him on speaker and getting out of the bed. She didn’t bother with the bra and slipped the t-shirt over her head. It fit her just right. “You did pretty good, Hisagi. It’s snug but not too snug. My nipples are sticking out though. Might be time to throw an extra blanket on my bed.”

“Oh, come on, Ran. Free the Nipple. Let them breathe and be free to meet and mingle with other nipply friends. I don’t get the big deal. You know before I left for tour, I spent a lot of time with Kurosaki’s family, and Hailey breastfeeds. I don’t get why Cif and others get weirded out by seeing a nip or two. In other words, show me the nips, Ran.”

“Maybe in a bit, Shu. I literally just woke up. My hair isn’t brushed. I have no makeup on. I just zombie walked to the elevator and then to the office, grabbed the box and came back.”

“I think that’s when you look your best, to be honest. But I get it, can’t let everyone see you without your battle armor. So, what kind of eye do you pair with a Tremors T-shirt?” he laughed.

She tried to calm her beating heart. This man’s words. His laughter. She could imagine his smile. “When do you come back?” she asked, voice taking on a squeaky quality on the last word.

“Uhhhh, we’re scheduled to be back for break just before Christmas. December twentieth, I think.” 

Rangiku opened the camera app and picked the selfie cam, snapping a photo of herself and her messy, tangled hair, wearing the shirt then she took another pulling the fabric over her tits. “Why do you ask about me talking to Ulq?” Rangiku asked as she composed a text message to him and sent the photos.

“I dunno, it just seems like you guys butted heads and it feels like an unlikely pairing, to be honest. I know it bothered Orihime at first.”

“He says I’m the female version of Ivan? And wants to drown me in the ocean or push me into traffic,” Rangiku said. “Anyway… Um...”

“My god, he is exactly like his father…” Shu muttered.

She laughed. “Jon Cifer stays away from me. It could be due to the fact that his wife gives him a death glare everytime he looks at something with legs.”

“Can’t say I blame her. I consider myself pretty solidly hetero, but Jon Cifer is a good looking dude,” he said with a chuckle. “I remember a young Miss Matsumoto reporting rumors of an even younger Vega Strife falling for his charms. Of course there was absolutely nothing to that, but the staff at Occhi Verdi and Cifer Confections thought it was scandalous.”

She shook her head and took him off speaker, bringing the phone back to her ear. “Check your texts. I bother Ulq because… I didn’t want to bother you with my problems. I don’t have anyone else to turn to. If Ulq opens his mouth, no one is gonna believe him anyway. It’s been established we don’t like each other.”

Shuhei twisted his lips to the side. He’d check his texts after he addressed this. “I don’t want you to think you can’t talk to me. Despite the misunderstandings and arguments between us, I meant it when I said I wanted to be your friend. It might not be the cleanest friendship, but it’s there. Now,” he switched topics quickly to avoid her contradicting him, “Let’s see this...Well, I say. Those are some pert nipples.”

Rangiku’s smile faded somewhat and she looked out the balcony window. She didn’t want to get into this with him. Friends with somewhat benefits. That’s what they had. Acquaintances with benefits. “Thanks… For the compliments. The shirt.”

“Hey, check Instagram later, Okay? I’m going to do something you might find amusing. Oh, shit, I gotta go. I have a radio interview in like thirty seconds. Check in the afternoon, okay?”

“But wait, Lover. I have a question. What the fuck is up with your Instagram name?”

He almost choked when she called him that. He didn’t have time to choke. “I thought I told you? We were together when I made it, so I thought it would be cute to copy you. Ok for real, gotta go. Talk soon, Ran.” Wow, he was glad he didn’t say where his mind went. Usually the only person he ever rushed off the phone like that was his mom. Those conversations always ended with, “Loveyoubye”.

His words echoed in her head. They still echoed in her head as she packed an overnight bag for her trip to Ohio. She’d be going to visit Nel and she would have an hour to interview the woman. She would be the only person in the room except for the guard and the camera. 

She didn’t bother with a dress or high heels, she wasn’t trying to impress Nel.

She did take a photo of the shirt with her bra on, sticking her tongue out at the camera. 

_Itsrangiku posted:_

You give me # _tremors_ @itsshuhei. Miss you # _80smovies_ # _90skids_

She had to giggle after she posted it. Maybe he’d get mad. Maybe he’d think it was funny. She had no clue as she grabbed her stuff and drove towards LAX.

***

Ulquiorra called Orihime around noon that day. He was almost to the point of being livid with the news that Rangiku delivered to him. It was bullshit.

“What… wait… What the hell does she need to talk to Nel for?!” Orihime could not pick one emotion. Rage, offense, fear and hurt clamored for dominance.

“Her job. Her show. Her boss wants her to interview Nel. Why? What’s the fucking point?” Ulquiorra snapped. He wanted to drive to Ohio and snatch Ran up by the damn head. “She didn’t say it flippantly like she used to talk to me. She was serious. She wanted to know if there was anything I wanted to know. Told Ran to ask Nel when she planned to get shanked.”

“Well then,” Orihime said, unsurprised by the sentiment but a bit by the words. “I don’t even know what to think. How is Nel relevant? It makes no sense. It-- Oh.” An idea came to her. “Did you tell Espada you were leaving yet?”

Ulquiorra huffed. “No, Grimmjow’s still drafting his letter of termination or whatever. I told him he can’t have a photo of him flipping the camera off and writing fuck off on the back of it. As much as I would love to do that, it needs to be in legal terms. We’re handing them in tomorrow, I think, or Thursday.”

“Well, that’s probably soon enough, but I really hope your newfound best friend with boobs relationship pays off and she doesn’t let Nel smear you, because it smells like an ambush to me. Maybe Gin is looking for a way to make it seem like Espada had no choice but to boot you out of OIV.”

“It doesn’t matter Orihime. Contract is signed. I’m done with them. As soon as I hand it in, I’m getting on a plane to you. I’ll spend a few days and then I’ll come back and decide what direction I’m going in now,” Ulquiorra said to her.

“I can’t wait,” she said, a smile on her lips and in her breath. “Whatever happens, we’ll weather this storm too, right?”

“If not, you can call me the house husband and I’ll even wear an apron with my collar, Woman,” Ulquiorra said with a chuckle.

“I love you, Ulquiorra.”

“I love you, Vega. I’ll talk to you in a couple hours. I’ve got to get over to Grimm’s.”

“Okay. Kiss that baby for me.”

“I am going to kidnap her one of these days. She’s adorable,” he said with a smile. “I’ll send you pictures when I get there.”

***

Shuhei had found a spot in the green room after the radio interview to pose in the Tremors T-shirt. He took a video of himself showing off the shirt and then lifting it up to expose his abs and a nipple, then smiled at the camera for a good full second, and setting it to play on a loop. He posted it as an Instagram story with the hashtags, _#greatmindsdressalike #freethenipple_. He hadn’t seen Rangiku’s story yet. If he had, he might have tagged her back.

After he posted it, he checked his notifications and saw it. He clicked on her pic and commented.

**_Itsshuhei:_ ** _Nice. ;) Miss you too._

***

Mila Rose was excited. She was practically jumping in her seat. “Hello YouTube! I am Mila Rose and stop the fucking presses. Just stop everything. EV-ER-REE-THING. We have some news. And it is juicy!”

“The only thing juicy about it is the person involved and her fat ass,” said a woman sitting next to Mila.

“Appachi, shut it.” Mila smiled at the camera. “So a couple weeks ago we had the pleasure of meeting Shuhei Hisagi. Shuhei Hisagi is the guy featured in this video of leading Rangiku Matsumoto around the Cifer’s property in the middle of the night. He’s also the guy that’s in the photos that we received from that anon source.”

All those photos flashed onto the screen except for the nudes. Then Mila’s face reappeared. “If you remember, like a month or two back, when Rangiku was out and about looking like a homeless woman in that dress and no makeup? Guess who is in the video?”

“Santa Claus?”

“Appachi!”

There was some laughter. Mila rolled her eyes and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Shuhei Hisagi was the guy in the video arguing with Rangiku.”

The image of Rangiku looking distraught and Shuhei trying to mimic a stonewall popped up on the screen. Another photo of them walking out of the panini shop appeared. “They were also seen at a panini shop in Sherman Oaks before disappearing into an apartment building. It probably belongs to the no name singer. Rangiku looks dressed to be walking Ventura Boulevard, not hanging off the arm of this guy.”

Mila shook her head. “Now, if you know anything about Rangiku Matsumoto, she’s pretty much been single since she became a thing. She has these orbiters, but no one sticks around for long. She’ll dance with guys or basically with anyone who will spend money on her when at a club. So it’s surprising that her Instagram post she did today made mouths drop open. It was literally the bombshell of the fucking fall.”

“It’s winter.”

“Technically it’s not winter until December. Shut your face. Okay, so if we go to her profile and her post. Boom who pops up? It’s Shuhei. It’s Rangiku. Their names match; she tagged him in a sexually suggestive post saying she missed him and… AND… We have screen shots of him declaring he missed her too.”

“Awww,” Appachi said off screen.

“So if we go to Shuhei’s page and click on his stories, we see his post and damn _girl._ I would so climb on top of that and use his abs as a washboard. Call me, Shu, I can show you a better time. I’m getting sidetracked. So the caption on the video is hashtag, great minds dress alike and free the nipple. What do you guys think of this? Is this a new thing, or has this obviously gone on for a while? Leave a comment down below!”

***

As soon as she landed at Port Columbus, Rangiku did as Shuhei said to do and checked his Instagram. Oh! It was a story and she could see why he wanted it as a story. His cut chest and chiseled abs were visible and she bit her lip, squirming a bit as she watched it. His smile almost did her in. She would grab it after she got settled into the hotel. The interview for Nel wouldn’t be until tomorrow. She had time. After she sent him several heart eyes, she checked her notifications. Wow there were a lot of comments but she saw that notification.

He said nice. He told her that he missed her too. 

Rangiku had to keep from squeeing and jumping all over the place. She decided to text him.

  * What are you doing?



He had been feeling the love on Instagram since Rangiku tagged him. Lots of heart eyes, lots of comments and DMs saying nice things about his body or cheesy come-ons. They didn’t bother him. He figured it was part of being a public figure and now that his figure was in public, well, there was just no getting around that. When he got Rangiku’s text, he was feeling a bit bold and full of himself. He took a wide-angle selfie of himself on a half-dressed stage, holding his other arm out to present the scene to her, and added the text:

  * Soundcheck. You?



Seeing the photo made her smile. 

  * I just landed in Columbus. Don’t worry; not going to harass your ppl. I have an important interview to do here. Not here but close to here. You look good. Kinda makes me wish I had a plane ticket to Memphis.



He frowned, learning that she was back in Ohio. As far as Shu was concerned there was not much in Ohio for her to be doing other than digging around for information about him or his friends.

  * Screw Ohio. Get a ticket. Come watch a show; I’ve heard good things about us. :P



She could agree about his sentiment concerning Ohio. But… She had to do this interview with Nel. Rangiku decided to just call him. It would clear the air and she could ask more questions that didn’t seem silly over text messages.

“Hi, I’m on my way backstage right now, so I have about twenty minutes. What’s up?” he gave her the timeframe up front so there wasn’t a repeat of the rushed call ending from last time.

“Is that enough time for a quickie?” she asked, hoping to make him laugh. “Hello, um… I, uh, saw your comment. And we’re totally doing that matching shirt thing.”

“Duh, Earth to Rangiku, that’s why I bought the matching shirts,” he said with a chuckle.

“Hmmm,” she hummed. “It makes me think… You want me. I’m joking, but I can’t screw Ohio. I don’t have all night to devote to the boys here.”

He threw back his head and laughed for a full seven seconds. “Oh lord. I speak from experience when I say we Ohio boys are a lot of talk and not a lot of execution. I think you’re safe for tonight.” His chuckles died down then and he pulled the trigger. “What _are_ you doing there, Ran?”

“A job. I get to be the lucky person who gets to be the first to interview Nelliel Tu Oderschvank. Or whatever her name is. I can’t pronounce it. I couldn’t tell Ulq about the details my boss gave me. I want to tell you,” Rangiku said.

“Oh, shit. Lay it on me.”

“Nel wrote a book. About people and places and things.”

“Fuck. Fuuuuck. Fucking hell. She is going to… Let’s just say her and reality and truth are not best friends. Fuck. Ran? Don’t be fooled. She will act all sweet and innocent and then snap at you. You’re not going to be alone with her, are you?”

He sounded like he was panicking. “Shu, it’s fine. Kira told me how you guys would have fun with Nel. I’m not there to ask questions about you. I’m there to find out about the book.”

“Wait! What the fuck, Kira? Why would he say shit like that? Why did you talk to him? Jesus. Nel-- Nel had, or has, a problem. She needs constant validation and she wants to fuck everyone. I never fucked her. It’s not like I’m trying to convince you I’m some innocent virgin or whatever, Ran, I just… When you meet her you’ll understand why I don’t want anyone, especially you, thinking I stuck my dick in _that._ Once. Once I was at her brother’s house and I was drunk and she got her hand down my pants. I was too blitzed to really notice. She’ll probably spin that into a story about me nearly getting her pregnant. I just want you to be aware. Argh.” He was frustrated about this entire situation, and feeling a bit betrayed by Kira and Ran.

No, this wasn’t supposed to deteriorate. They were having fun. “Shu. You don’t have to explain anything to me. Seriously. Momo directed me to Kira. I also had a couple words with Renji. He offered to entertain me all night and I blew him off. Kira did the same thing, practically. He’s cute but… I’m kind of stuck on this guy. I have a list of questions to ask Nel and they all deal with that party and Ulq.”

“Ughhh. Are they bad? Are they gonna break them up? Fuck.” Shu had to take a seat and run his hands through his hair. “Let me know when the show comes out, Ran. I’ll try to keep Vega away from the TV.”

“It’s on Thursdays at like one am? I thought you would know when it was on. You were sent an invitation to my show and we got a refusal… Anyway…”

“This does not surprise me. Hanataro doesn’t want me talking to anyone yet. Wants to keep my image clean for as long as possible. He reports to Byakuya Kuchiki, so he’s pretty vigilant. Also, I know when your show is, I just want to know when the Nel episode comes out.”

Rangiku made a sound. “Wait… you know Byakuya?”

“Of course I do. He works for my label. He’s always there. I’ve been in the studio for almost as long as you’ve known me. When I told you I was a baker it was because I didn’t know how else to cover up the fact that I was constantly working in LA without telling you about my secret project.”

“Fuck,” she breathed, quickly becoming upset. “This is wonderful.”

“What, he an embittered ex or something?” Shu joked, trying to get her to calm down.

God, if she told him, what would he think? “A couple of conference room fucks doesn’t make him an ex,” she muttered. “The episode is a holiday special and it comes out on the twenty-second.”

A sick feeling came over him. A couple of fucks. That’s all he was to her, really. Whatever. This was not a real thing. They were almost friends. Flirty, inappropriate friends. Barely. He sighed. “Thanks. I’ll put it on my calendar.”

Yeah, she had to open her big mouth. Shu knew what she did before she decided to turn her life around. “Shu, I’ve not seen Byakuya since I met you. He has never paid me. His dick game isn’t all that good that I remember since I found you.” Rangiku swallowed hard and realized she was still standing in the airport and this wouldn’t be the place to have a mental break down.

“You don’t have to justify it to me, Rangiku. Really. I’m just stressed about this Nel thing. You probably think I’m overreacting, but once you meet her, you’ll understand.” Okay, so that was a stretch of the truth, but apart from not enjoying the mental image of her being fucked over a conference room table - or maybe, and twistedly, kind of enjoying that image--Jesus he needed to get laid--he wasn’t particularly upset to learn that she had had sex with the man. It was just another one.

She scoffed. “You didn’t have to justify Nel but you did. I understand. Just because I talked to Momo and Kira doesn’t mean I believe them, but that kiss… You… You scared me. Nothing Momo said matched with the man I know. The one who makes me laugh and has seen me at my worst. _Anyway_ , I’ll keep that in mind that she’s a conniving bitch. I’ve dealt with her before over emails, but still. I know she puts on this act. I’ve seen it all before. Also, I am the one who got their hands on all that stuff from her and that Michelle girl’s PCs first. I’ve seen all the shit pertaining to Nel first hand.”

Shuhei’s mind was racing. Too many competing concerns. “Okay. I have to trust you, Ran. You, uh, gonna meet up with anyone there today? If you’re sticking around Columbus, there is a woman there who could maybe give you another perspective on Nel if you want to do another interview. Heemz told me that she hosted the parties. I can get her name and number for you if you’re interested.”

Rangiku’s interest was piqued. She used her shoulder to hold her phone as she started going through her purse. She didn’t even censor herself. “Just a minute, Baby. I have to get my pen and pad out of my bag. I was just going to the hotel but if I can expose what a liar Nel is and how much of slanderous piece of trash this book is… If I can prevent Orihime and Ulq’s breakdown… I’ll do it. But I kind of want to come to you after all this. Ugh.” She stomped her foot. “Paying for things yourself sucks,” Rangiku pouted.

“Complain to me when you have to start selling your stuff to pay the rent,” he said, getting up and walking over to Orihime’s dressing room. “Orihime? Can I come in?” he said without removing the phone from his face. Rangiku could hear him go in and briefly explain the situation and express surprise that Orihime already knew vaguely about the Nel interview, then got the name and number of Tier Hallibel to give to Rangiku.

“Did you get that, Ran, or should I read it back?”

Rangiku was busy dotting i’s. “I got it. Thank you. Shu?”

“Yeah?”

“I do miss you. I just want you to know that. I don’t mean it in a--What’s your favorite color?”

“Red. Like Chicago Bulls Red. Why do you ask?”

A sweet smile splayed over her mouth. The next time she got a pedicure, maybe she’d indulge in a bit of red instead of nude toes. “I want to get to know you better?”

He smiled at that. He huffed out a breath and smiled wider. “Good. Call me when you’re done tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”


	33. Chapter 33

Rangiku had called and Tier said she was available for a couple of hours. It didn’t take her long to drive from the airport to the neighborhood near the college.

Rangiku looked at the woman with light green eyes, short blonde hair, and just as much tits as her. Tier Hallibel still lived in that house, but it was more grown up looking. There were curtains on the windows and plants on the porch along with some outdoor furniture. The interior of the house was minimal, but still it was adulty looking. 

There was something judging about the way Tier looked at her, so Rangiku smiled. “Hi! I’m Rangiku Matsumoto. Thank you for agreeing to meet me.”

“Come in.”

Well, she didn’t put off a welcoming or warm vibe.

The tall woman led her past the living room and into a smaller den/study. There was a small sofa, a pair of papasan chairs and a desk in the room. The back wall had a single window in the center and was covered with bookshelves that held what appeared to be the entire Hal Leonard catalogue. A music stand stood before it.

Tier gestured to the sofa. “Take a seat,” she said, before settling into one of the chairs. She looked at Rangiku with a cool expression and asked, “What do you want to know?”

“Why did you throw the parties?” Rangiku asked as she sat down and brought her pad and pen out. “Oh, do you mind if I record the audio of this conversation?”

“Please do. I don’t want my words lost in transcription. Why did I throw the parties?” she asked, raising an impossibly golden brow at the other woman. “To control my image and manage the pulse of my department. If I am present, people know I’m watching and listening.”

Rangiku was quickly writing this down. “Did you have any contact with Aizen?”

“Of course I did.”

“What was the nature of that contact? Did he touch you or assault you as he did with other students that he was in control of?”

“He did. Aizen started subtly at first; lingering handshakes, pats on the back that trailed down too far, that kind of thing. I developed this cold expression in response. That, and not being his student, shielded me from worse than what I’ve described,” she explained coolly.

Rangiku shifted in her seat, uncomfortable hearing Tier speak. The same thing happened with her. But the difference was Rangiku was paid for her time around Aizen. “Describe Nel to me in your own words. Why did you allow her into these parties?” 

“Batshit insane. Obnoxious. Loudly and rabidly jealous of Orihime Inoue. Delusional about her own significance, and obsessed with Ulquiorra Cifer.”

“Did you allow anyone into these parties? Nel wasn’t a music student. She was an arts major.”

“Our departments share a building. I had parties nearly every weekend, and invitations traveled through word of mouth. There was no guest list. People were allowed in until it was too full or until someone caused enough complaints. In Nel’s case, there were enough other people that were jealous of Orihime that there weren’t many complaints about her badmouthing her. Also, she was very physically attractive and sexually available, so a lot of people wanted her here.”

Rangiku sighed. Of course Nel was sexually available. “The night of the ObscurasIV sex scandal, did anything seem amiss? Was Nel or her accomplice acting any different?”

“A bit less attention seeking on Nel’s part; she came in quietly and went downstairs without dancing. That Michelle girl took up the slack, though; organizing some game of spin the bottle up on this floor. Orihime was in this room with a group of women discussing Aizen’s transgressions.” She offered that last bit of information unprodded.

“What about Ulquiorra? He probably attended parties before, right? What was he like that night?”

“That was the first and last time either he or Orihime came. I had advised her to come and defend herself from the rumors Nel and her roommate were instigating. Ulquiorra was silent and went downstairs almost immediately, too. I always suspected that he had planned to meet Nel down there; it was too convenient and out of character for Nel to avoid attention.”

There were a lot of viewpoints to this entire story, and even after four years the incident still came up in certain circles, with people whispering behind their hands when Rangiku mentioned OIV. “How much would Nel drink? Did she drink anything that night?”

“I don’t believe she drank anything that night, although she often did. She came in with a plan, some drugs, and a camera. She was intent to destroy them. That’s my hot take anyway,” she said with a lip curl as she looked to the side.

Wow. That was an accusation. Rangiku smiled and put everything away. That was really all she needed. “Thank you so much Ms. Hallibel. I really appreciate you talking to me.”

“Call me if there’s anything else,” she replied, standing and leading the way to the door with perfect posture.

Once Rangiku was outside and in the rental car, she looked at her phone surprised to see a text from Shinji

Shinji:    
Dude, check Mila’s new video. You’re going to freak. Why didn’t you say you were dating the hot guy?

What? When the video was over, Rangiku’s mouth hung open as she stared at the phone. “Today has been the best and worst day ever.”

***

“Whoa… Shu. You have to see this. I’m sending it to your phone,” Orihime said as they drove through Tennessee. She sat next to him and patted his knee. “It’s, um, not  _ that _ bad,” she added, hoping it would help.

Shuhei watched the Mila Rose show in silence and then turned his face to the short woman. “So?”

“So? What do you mean, ‘ _ so’?  _ Everyone is going to be talking about this!” Orihime was worried.

“What’s the big deal? I mean, we did sneak around your house and got freaky. We did post shit on Instagram. It is what it is,” he said, knitting his brow. 

“Has she seen it?” Orihime asked, leaning back a bit now that it did not appear that he required moral support.

“I dunno. Guess I should call her, huh?”

So he did. He got his phone out and walked to the back of the bus and called her.

“Hello?” Rangiku said, sounding tired. She was at the hotel in this town where the women’s prison was located. She had her ass ripped up one side and down the other by Jugo for wanting to cancel the interview.

“Hey, it’s me,” he said in a voice that made it feel like this was an everyday occurrence. “Did you see the Mila Rose thing about us?”

“If you’re going to say it’s me, you need to say it with feeling,” Rangiku replied giving a chuckle. “It’s Me! Shuhei!” Her tone went back to serious-business inflection. “Yeah I saw it. I’m sorry. I mean I want that to be us but if you’re bothered by it, I can totally drag her when I get back. I need to do an _It’sRan!_ vlog anyway.”

Whoa. What? Yeah, she’d been flirting with the concept of them being more than what they were from what he gleaned from their interactions, but she’d never come out and stated what she actually wanted. He had planned to tell her it wasn’t a big deal. Now he wasn’t so sure.

“Um, well, uh… I can’t say I’m bothered, but, uh… Well, I’m not going to discourage you from dragging her.” He was not sure if he should say anything else, and anyway, he didn’t know what to say. He had mixed feelings about them and their relationship, and even less hope.

Rangiku knew he was going to say something like that. They were just… whatever they were. Acquaintances with benefits. “Right, sure. Don’t worry about it. I’ll do it when I get home, which should be tomorrow,” she said, trying to keep her tone light. “Jugo, my boss, says I need to be back as soon as possible, so no sex filled layovers in whatever city you’re in.” She laughed for a second. “Like I said, sorry. I shouldn’t have tagged you in the photo. Or I should have asked before doing it.”

“Rangiku, I really don’t mind. Honestly. I’m sorry I won’t be able to see you, but, you know, work and all that. Besides, if I had known you were going to tag me I might have tagged you back. But Ran, I don’t want to offend your benefactor or get either of us in trouble.”

“Shu, it’s fine. You don’t have to explain or anything. I totally understand.” It all came back to her being a sugarbaby and Gin. Of course. “Anyway, I have an early day tomorrow. I’ll text you when I’m done with Nel’s interview.”

“Call. Goodnight, Ran.”

***

Rangiku looked up at the prison and swallowed. Her stomach was twisting with nerves as she walked to the visiting building. The prison for women was a sprawling complex housing every woman in Ohio who had been convicted of a major crime.

She was searched and prodded as she went through their security measures. The prison guard was already standing next to the door when Rangiku entered the room. There was a woman sitting in the other chair with her back to the guard. Was that Nel? It didn’t look like Nel.

Her hair was a sickly ash blonde and long. The braided mass of hair almost reached her butt. “Rangiku Matsumoto. The woman who put me here,” came the child-like voice. “Well, you helped put me here. Orihime did the other part. Cunt.”

Immediately Rangiku felt threatened as Nel turned around and stared her down. She backed up to the door, feeling for the knob just in case she needed to bolt. Those hazel eyes had dark shadows around them; they were filled with anger and a sadistic glint. Ran could bet everything in that book was a lie. “Nelliel, it’s good to finally meet you.”

“Ma’am, you can sit down here. If you’ll hand me the camera I’ll set it up,” the guard said, directing Rangiku to a chair. 

After she handed the camera to the guard, he set it up on the small tripod and Rangiku made sure everything was in focus before taking her seat.

“Slumming it today? No legs for me to oogle or pounds of makeup?”

“I have no need to impress you, Nel. Might I remind you that you approached me, not the other way around,” Rangiku said. “Let’s talk about--”

“So you and Shu, eh? He’s got a nice dick. I should know. I’ve been on it. I loved watching his face when he came. Did you know he doesn’t like to use condoms? I guess he likes that thrill. He also comes a lot. He played with my ass all the time... And he loves tits.”

“Oderschvank! Language!” the guard barked.

Rangiku stared hard at the woman, expression cold. Shu had told her this would happen. She had to keep that in mind. It didn’t matter about him. He was free to fuck anyone he wanted. There was nothing to tie them together. Besides, Ran still had a  _ benefactor _ . “I am not here to talk about my love life nor him. He has his own segment coming up, so if you’re a fan of The Rumor Mill, I suggest you tune in. Your book?”

“Oh right, the book. You mean that seventy-five thousand word story on what happened that night? How I planned it? How I was going to make my best friend mine?” Nel asked leaning back.

Rangiku saw the chains on her ankles and wrists. She also saw how she was tethered to the chair like a dog. 

“I’m getting out next month.”

“What? You’ve only served eighteen months of your sentence!” Rangiku asked. This interview wasn’t going how she planned.

“I’ve been a good girl,” Nel said, a smile spreading over her face. It was creepy how she said that and how she was acting. “Anyways,  _ One Wild Night _ is a book of fiction based on one night in my life. The before, the during and the aftermath. Of course we’re all still dealing with the aftermath. I’m going to be doing it in luxury though. Got a book deal. Gonna be in Los Angeles.”

Rangiku looked down at her list of questions and sighed. “Okay, so let’s begin...”

***

Shuhei was worried. Rangiku hadn’t called. At first he just blew it off, figuring she got busy or was pissed off at him for mentioning Gin’s existence. But as the hours passed and their bus crossed through Kentucky, he began to grow more and more fearful that something bad had happened. 

By the time it was ten o’clock in the evening, he couldn’t take it anymore. He called her.

What Nel had told her was disturbing. What Nel told her was just… sick. She saw her phone screen light up as she sat on the hotel room bed. The prison inmate kept taking things back to Shuhei, telling Rangiku all the little details that she had seen for herself. On the last round of chimes, she finally picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hi, are you okay? You never called.” He sounded urgent as the words fell from his lips.

“Shu, I think---No, I’m not. I tried to keep what you said in mind but, Nel... I think it’s best if we keep our distance,” Rangiku said, swallowing. 

“What? What are you talking about, Ran? What did she say to you? Did she threaten you?!” He sounded like he was getting agitated.

There was a long exhale. “No, she just told me that you don’t do relationships and you are aggressive. She said you’d do things to her. You don’t use condoms and you like the thrill of drugs and partying. I’ve heard that from two other people while in Ohio. I’m not that kind of person. I don’t even know how to relationship really,” Rangiku said quietly. “She described you. Your body and how you looked when getting off and what you liked… I tried to steer the conversation back to the book and Ulquiorra. I know I have no right to be concerned with what you’ve done or who you’ve done it with. We’re just… Acquaintances with benefits.”

An unvoiced glottal stop and a sharp inhale. “Ran, you know from experience that that is total bullshit. Costco-size box of condoms ring any bells? I don’t party. I don’t-- I told you she would do this.” He sighed and pressed his forehead into his hand. “If you want to stay away you are free to do so, but be aware that everything that has come out of that liar’s mouth is complete bullshit.” He didn’t know what else to do.

“I know. I tried not to let her under my skin about it. She just kept whittling away and I didn’t even get the full hour of questions in. Momo… She said you guys partied all the time. Kira said you did whatever everyone else was doing. You’d hang out with women that partied and did whatever,” Rangiku paused, noticing he didn’t refute the relationship thing. “I know it’s bullshit and I got my hopes up again. Which sucks for both of us.”

He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, he sounded careful and measured. “Rangiku, you know how I am. You’ve seen it. I never pretended to be someone I’m not when I was with you except a baker; which I was for many years. I have done things in the past that I’m not proud of. We never got a chance to talk about that kind of thing because you were not interested in my friendship. I don’t know if you only want a playmate or a relationship that is all fantasy and sex and no real life or what. I’m not going to ask you to explain yourself. You don’t owe me anything. But know that those people in Ohio that I left behind are stuck in the past and some of them are very bitter. Momo has been trying to tie me down since junior year in high school. She’s pissed that I refused to marry her and left her behind. She’s pissed that I still talk to Orihime. If she knew about you she’d probably send a severed head to your office. Kira has no ambition. He wants to stay where he is and talk about old times that really weren’t that great.” 

He sighed. What was he doing? Trying to salvage his image? Trying to talk her into believing in him? It sounded like she had her mind made up. “You’ll believe what you want to believe, though. Just like everybody else.” He was going to just hang up but he waited.

Rangiku ran her hand through her hair. “This isn’t a pity party. This is what I’ve realized upon dealing with your host and badgering him and hearing what you said to me. My parents made me feel worthless. I raised myself. When I came out to Cali, I still felt that way, but at least this nice guy was paying for things and calling me pretty and made me feel wanted. Until he wanted sex and he paid for it, then laughs at me when I tell him what happened with his business partner. Then he laughed when I had an affair with a married man who lied to me. People wanted me for the wrong reasons,” she said. She wasn’t upset. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t emotional. 

She was tired though. 

“You were a story at first, Shuhei. Then you were a hot guy… The first hot guy I met in the middle of the night at some seedy place. You were the first guy who saw where I really lived and how I look without makeup. The first guy to sleep beside me. I had this idea that we could have some fantasy relationship where everything was happy while I quietly extracted myself from Gin. You made me want that. I made myself crazy over you. Talking to Ulquiorra is an eye opener, sometimes. I’m a broken person in a lot of ways. I wanted someone to fix me. You were the first person to come around that seemed like you actually cared. I don’t need anyone to fix me. I have to fix myself; I just want someone to hold my hand while I do that but no one is here doing that, so it’s another thing that I’m doing on my own.  _ You’ll  _ believe what  _ you  _ want about me.” 

What the fuck was she on about? Was she setting all this shit up about him just to make him feel emotional and then dump this info about herself? It kind of felt like it. He didn’t know what to think. He felt like she was blaming him for her present problems, like he owed her moral support. Like flirting and screwing a few times made him a key player in her life, and that she thought he ought to know this and agree despite the fact that it was  _ never ever something either of them had ever discussed _ . To Shuhei, this thing with Rangiku had stopped before it ever really started. It wasn’t his fault that she made up this alternate reality fantasy where he would be cool being some cuckolded boyfriend while she took her time digging dirt up on him and supposedly getting her shit together, all while collecting a paycheck. Like he was just supposed to sit on the back burner and wait until she eventually decided that she’d had enough of Gin’s money. 

It was  _ fucking insulting _ . 

And on top of that, she offered some bullshit about how he had been the first to see her without makeup, like that was some kind of holy grail? Who the fuck did this bitch think she was?

“Good luck with that, Ran. I believe what you show me. I don’t go snooping around asking exes and associates to badmouth you behind your back. I hope you get what you want. Don’t hurt people. Goodbye, Ran.”

He hung up, feeling like he may have just dodged a bullet.

She let the phone fall to the hotel bed before she had her laptop in her hands. There was a file folder titled Hisagi. He was right. He’d never believe her because she had done that to try and get dirt on him. She talked to jilted lovers and friends instead of just talking to him and asking him questions. Rangiku deleted the folder then she emptied the laptop’s recycle bin. All those pictures; the interviews with Momo and Kira were gone. 

This was for the best. The next thing she did was decided to refute Mila Rose’s claim.

“Hi Instagram! Thank you for all the love! Unfortunately It’s Shuhei and I aren’t together like that. He’s a good friend and we like the movie Tremors. He does, at least, I am usually bored by the time Kevin Bacon says shut up…”

***

A week later, on November sixteenth, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra looked like they were in the mafia as they walked in synchronization through Espada Records with envelopes in their hands. Both had on simple suits. This was totally by accident, but Grimmjow told him when they met in front of the building that he wanted to look sophisticated when telling Tosen to fuck off.

“Mature,” Ulquiorra said.

“Look, just because I’ve got a big dick and a big paycheck, doesn’t mean I’m a grown up. I still laugh at the word butt and I like boobs,” Grimmjow responded.

Hmph. Grimmjow was older than him. He should have been fully matured at this point. Gin and Tosen looked offended when they strode into the office.

“What is this?” Gin asked.

“A mutiny,” Tosen stated.

“Nah, it’s just us telling you to kiss our asses. We’re out.”

“You can’t leave, you have contractual obligations--”

“Which were negated when you decided I was too difficult to work with and picked another frontman to represent the OIV image,” Ulquiorra said. “We’ll make sure to leave you a one star review on Yelp.”

With that, the infamous duo that  _ was  _ ObscurasIV walked out of Espada Records as IV and Sexta. Grimmjow headed to his own mansion to be with Hailey, while Ulquiorra had Nanao drive him to LAX. He had a plane to catch.


	34. Chapter 34

Shuhei was displeased with life in general. He kept his head down and played as well as he could in Louisville and Indianapolis. This weekend was Chicago and then Milwaukee, before moving toward Columbus and Detroit the following weekend.

It wasn’t an accident that they’d be in Ohio for Thanksgiving. Orihime had pushed hard for it, wanting Shuhei to be able to be with his mom and Ichigo to be able to see his parents and sisters if he was going to be separated from his immediate family.

Chicago and Milwaukee sucked this time of year, though. It was fricking freezing and there were bare trees everywhere. He was keeping his head down. He was hunkering down. He knew that after they pulled out of Milwaukee, it would only be a matter of hours before Rangiku’s interview with Nel aired, and she had said it was all about him.

Fucking wonderful.

He told Orihime what Rangiku said about the interview and when the episode would air. She had just pressed her lips together in a line and nodded, apologizing that Rangiku would turn against him.

When Ulquiorra arrived in Chicago, it was a bit more of a conversation.

“She is going to throw me under the bus, Ulq. What did you two talk about? She acted like she was gathering all the dirt she could so she could dump it on her show and then wash her hands of me.”

Ulquiorra sighed. This wasn’t what he flew all the way to Chicago to do. He came to spend time with his woman. “You said she was batshit insane and crazy and whatever other nonsense. Why do you care what she said to me? Do you want to read our DMs? I would send you screenshots but everything seems to get passed around when I do that.”

Shu turned away and threw his hands up. “No, I don’t. I just don’t understand. We were starting to get to know each other. We were starting to be friends. She was starting to seem like someone I could know, not just in the biblical sense. Whatever. She wants distance? She’s got it. She wants to believe Nel and Momo and Kira. I just hope she doesn’t fuck up my life.”

Another sigh.“Shu, I’m going to tell you the exact thing I told Ran. Move on. You two obviously aren’t compatible so find someone you can call your best friend or whatever your kink is. Forget about her. From what she told me, she never said a bad word about you in the interview with Nel. She said all the information she has dug up on you is gone,” Ulquiorra stated. “She deleted it. She made a statement on YouTube and Instagram stating that you two were friends, so there’s no romantic attachment.”

“Ha! I would love to be friends. We’re not friends. She was never interested in being my friend. I-- You know, you’re right, Ulquiorra. She’s washed her hands, it’s time I did the same. I’m going out. You come too, Kurosaki. Let them have their reunion or whatever. Let’s go close Wolski’s or whatever they have around here.”

Shuhei and Ichigo got jackets on to go out into the towns around O’Hare that night. There was not much going on. They ate at the airport Hilton because they couldn’t find a decent place anywhere else that wasn’t such a drive that they’d be starving by the time they arrived. There was a place there called the Gaslight Club that had live music sung by women dressed as some kind of saloon/burlesque girls and a piano player. The atmosphere was interesting, kind of a throw-back cocktail bar thing and they spent the evening there eating and drinking, and at the end of the night decided to just get a couple rooms there and let the Cifers have some privacy.

Back on the bus, Orihime was a nervous ball of energy until her fellow musicians left and she was alone with her husband. They had so much to catch up on, but for now, she just wanted him. Badly. As soon as the bus doors closed she was in his arms, kissing his lips and pulling his shirt up.

Ulquiorra sighed and caught his wife’s hands with one of his own. He had been in a frenzy to see Orihime and then Shuhei had to open his mouth. The band members had taken their sweet time leaving. “Orihime, stop for a moment. I want to talk to you and hold you.”

She felt a sting of rejection and pulled back, looking at him with knit brows and trying to swallow down the bitter sensation going down her throat. After a few moments, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, besides Shuhei and his bullshit. I know we talk every day, but how are you now that I’m here?” Ulquiorra asked.

She exhaled through her nostrils heavily and went to sit down. “I was good. Why do you let his stuff bother you so much?”

He gave her a glance. “Why? Because that idiot is so smitten with her that it annoys me. She’s in love with him. That’s what she told me and she’s scared of it”

Orihime rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t even know him. And yeah, he is very attracted to her and was intensely worried about her safety, but I wouldn’t call it being smitten. Hopeful, maybe. Well, not anymore, Mr. Incompatible. And you told  _ me _ not to meddle.” She sighed. “Whatever. How did my babies settle in at your parents’ house?”

“Being in love with someone is different than loving someone. I’m in love with you and I love you. I only told them what they needed to hear. Ran is a mess and she’s saying the same thing, that he’s done with me. Blah, blah, blah.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Ugh. How do you tolerate it? What is it about her that trips your sympathy switch? Come sit down, you’re going to give me a neckache looking up at you like this,” she said, patting the space beside her.

He walked over and sat down, pulling Orihime into his lap, arms wrapping around her. “I don’t sugarcoat things. I tell her she’s a dumbass. I told her to move on and she went back to him. It serves them right for entertaining each other. Honestly she’s like a female Ivan. The stray puppy you don’t want but sticks around,” Ulquiorra stated. He kissed her neck several times. “Also Evie loves the puppies. My mom has to tell her she couldn’t ride Prinny. She asked if she could ride King. My mom told her no. You should have heard the fit she threw.”

Orihime chuckled and let her body relax into his. “I bet they’ll be exhausted when they come home. It’s okay, King needs to lose some weight anyway.” She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, placing a palm in his heart. “I’m nervous about that show in Columbus and the Nel interview. Also we need to make plans for Thanksgiving. Our adopted sons are spending it with their birth parents.”

“Grandma, unless you don’t want to field questions of making her a great grandmother. My mom is mad at me for the Espada thing, but she understands, I think.” Ulquiorra sighed. “Why are people idiots?”

She laughed. “I do not know. And I would love to spend it with Grandma. I have answers prepared for the baby questions... Unless you want to swing by Steve’s and serenade his pity party.”

Ulquiorra snorted. “I would much rather listen to Shuhei whine about Matsumoto than talk to that douche. I’ll call my grandmother tomorrow. Now, since we’ve had a moment to connect and you know my interest in you isn’t just in a biblical sense, as Shu puts it, wanna ride me? Well, I take that back because I totally want to know your body.”

“Uh, yeah,” she said in an annoyed, sassy tone.

“Are you mouthing off to me Mrs. Cifer?”

“Maybe. You gonna do something about it, Mr. Cifer?”

“I could put you over my knee and spank you. Maybe finger you, but what I really want to do is bury myself in you,” Ulquiorra said his voice becoming growly as he cupped Orihime’s breast.

Her fingers were already at his fly. She was dressed down a sweatshirt and leggings. It would be nothing to pull them down. “Don’t tell the boys we fucked on the couch, m’kay?” she said between the kisses she was planting onto his neck.

“I’ll scream it at them,” Ulquiorra replied pushing her sweatshirt up, fingers slipping under her bra. “Besides, they’re probably off fucking some women on their own.”

“I’m going to pretend you never said that. I really, really don’t want to imagine it,” she replied, helping him pull the sweatshirt off of her body and unhooking her bra behind her back. “I hope they have a good time tonight though; they’ve both been so grumpy.”

Ulquiorra smiled as he gently pinched her nipple. “That happens when you can’t see the love of your life and fuck them silly.”

“I guess,” she answered, stepping off his lap and pulling his jeans down before shucking her leggings and climbing back on.

He growled in her ear as he grabbed the base of his cock, lining himself up. “It’s the truth. I’m grumpy when you’re not around.”

“Well, thanks to your act of rebellion,” she sighed as she sank down on him, “We don’t have to worry about that much anymore. Thanks for the selfie, by the way. You and Grimm looked like you were walking out of a Quentin Tarantino movie. I zoomed in on your scowly face and hid in my bunk and imagined I was riding it.”

As he grabbed her hips and slammed into her, Ulquiorra chuckled. “Later, you know, when everyone is asleep and I can make you scream. Fuck, you feel good.”

“So do you,” she breathed, leaning back and letting him pound up into her. Man, she had nearly forgotten how well they fit together. “Do you want to, ah, do you want to do anything else later?”

“Woman, I’ve not touched you since September, let me have my fun,” he groaned. “Unless…”

“Unless what?” she asked, breathless and holding onto one of her tits to keep at least one of them from swinging out of control.

The hands on her hips went to her ass and squeezed. He smirked then blushed. “I’m joking. Fuck, roll your hips again, like that… Yes,” Ulquiorra said. This was good. This was heaven for him.

Orihime kept it up, but she stored away that little comment about the joke. She didn’t know what the joke was. But she was too close to heaven herself that she let it go for the moment. A few more well-placed shifts of her hips and she was tightening up on him. “Oh, god, yeah, Ulquiorra. Right there. Mmm,” she bit her lip and grabbed his shoulders as she started to come.

It didn’t take him long to follow her down that path. “I love you, Orihime,” he said to her as he held her.

She slumped onto him, satisfied and post-orgasmicly lazy. “I love you, Ulquiorra. What did you mean when you said you were joking?”

“The ass thing. I was joking. I love you too much for that.”

She chuckled. “Well, we could  _ try _ , if you want. I can’t promise I’m gonna like it, but if it’s something you want, I mean…”

His face turned red and Ulquiorra kissed her before shaking his head. “Not while you’re on a bus. That requires love and pampering and a safe place.”

She sat up and raised an eyebrow at him. “Sounds like you’ve been doing some research,” she said, not sure if she liked the thought.

“No no no, Grimmjow talks too much and never shuts up! Did you know that Grimm loves Ivan a lot but thinks Hailey is some goddess and would worship the ground she walks on?"

Orihime shook her head. “Of course he does, I’ve seen her naked.” She chuckled. “Hailey loves them both. We’ve talked a lot. She loves Ichigo more in a traditional romantic sense, but her feelings for Grimmjow are also really deep and almost spiritual.”

“I’ve found out more about Grimmjow since I visit their house almost every day. I’ve also found out a lot about Hailey… and unfortunately Ivan. He really loves those two, too,” Ulquiorra said as he kissed her again and then stuck his face in between her tits. “God, I missed you.”

***

Shuhei and Ichigo had done their part to get out of the Cifers’ hair, but they had not done so quietly. They both had a bit to drink and had taken some silly pictures while they were at that airport hotel bar. Ichigo got one of himself at the piano. Shuhei had recorded him playing _Piano Concerto_ by Clara Schumann, Shu laughing behind the camera when someone came to ask him to stop. 

Still, the singers found them attractive and charming, and after Shuhei was recognized, they all wanted to line up for pictures. One of them had slipped her number into Shu’s pocket and whispered, “Call me,” to him as she walked away.

He watched her panty-hose clad ass walk away from him and thought that might not be a bad way to spend an evening. Rangiku was done with him. Ulquiorra made it clear that they were incompatible and advised both of them to move on. Rangiku had taken her BFF’s advice. Maybe he should too.

So before he went back up to his hotel room, he made an Instagram story, posting the video of Ichigo playing piano, but cutting it before he was asked to stop, with the caption, “Where there’s a piano… There’s an Ivan.” The next part of the story was the picture of him and Ivan and a line of cabaret girls on either side. He captioned that one, “Sorry ladies, the one on the right’s taken”. He tagged Ichigo and added  _ #Ohare #gaslightlounge #tourshenanigans. _

After he posted it, he fished that woman’s number out of his pocket and stopped at the guest services shop for a box of condoms before going upstairs and calling her, making sure to block his number from showing up on her caller id.

When he woke up the next morning, there was a corset flung over the lampshade and a naked woman in his bed whose name he didn’t know. He sat up and dragged a hand down his face. He made sure he had his phone and wallet and clothes with him, even grabbing the spent condom from the wastebasket before going into the bathroom and flushing it. He took a shower, dressed, and left the woman a note that said, “Thanks for last night, sorry I had to split so early. If you want to come to the Vega Highwell show tonight, I’ll put you on the list. Tell the guy your name is Clara Schumann, LOL.”

He crept out and walked over to Ichigo’s room, knocking on the door. He waited for a moment, thinking about what had happened. He had scratched an itch. That was it. He sighed. He hoped that Clara, or whatever her name was, didn’t care for Vega Highwell. 

After waiting a few minutes, he decided to call Ichigo. 

“Hello?” the groggy voice came over the line.

“Dude. Wake up. I need to come in.”

“Why?”

“Just  _ let me in _ . I don’t want to get caught in the hallway!”

Ichigo came to the door a few seconds later, rubbing his eyes, totally naked.

Shu’s eyes widened and diverted, but he ducked past the orange-haired man and took a deep breath. “Pfew. Thanks. Put some clothes on.”

“Whatever,” Ichigo said, taking a few steps back to the bed and diving between the covers. “I’m exhausted. You really know how to show a girl a good time, don’t you? I could hardly sleep. What was that about, anyway? You never entertain groupies or anything.”

“I was just moving on. Well… Maybe not exactly moving on. I needed to get laid, so I did.”

“I’m not judging,” Ichigo murmured, his eyes closing again. “Feel free to hang out; I’m sleeping until check-out time.”

***

Rangiku watched her show the morning after it aired. She kept talking to Nel about the book and the other woman just kept steering the conversation to Shuhei. She saw how her face became more and more despondent and broken while Nel looked more and more pleased and gleeful. 

The blonde vlogger had played right into her hands.

Oh well. The damage was done. 

Shuhei… 

She angrily turned the television off. Ash got offended when Rangiku threw the remote and it hit the wall with a sharp smack. Why the fuck didn’t the Ohio prison system make the fucking prisoners watch something wholesome instead of reality shows where the story of her and Shu would be plastered on there.

_ “I was going to just sit here and be silent,” Nel said as Rangiku stood up. She was turning the camera off and the guard was detaching it from the tripod. _

_ “Why didn’t you go with that plan?” _

_ “Because I like seeing people uncomfortable. I never fucked Shuhei. I gave him a couple of handjobs and maybe a blowjob." _

_ Rangiku had snorted and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “Do you think I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?” _

_ “Maybe I’ll see him once I get out to Los Angeles,” Nel said. “Oh and if you see Ulqui, tell him I said hi. _ ” 

A shudder went through her. What the fuck was wrong with people from Ohio?

Her day just got worse as she saw Instagram. Shuhei’s face, smiling and looking drunk. Oh well. If he slept with all those women… he slept with them. It wasn’t her concern. She needed to focus on her job. She didn’t have time to worry about anything.

Then if that wasn’t the worst part, her mother called.

“Hi, Ma.”

“Really Rangiku? Your face is plastered on the ticker at Times Square and all you can do is say hi Ma?” Mrs. Matsumoto screamed into the phone. “Do you know what you did to your father? One of his co-workers saw a photo of you while you were indecent.”

“Ma, I can explain--”

“NO! You are no child of mine. My child wouldn’t lie to me like you have! My child would have done something with her life instead of becoming a gossip monger.”

Rangiku sighed. “You and Auntie gossip--”

Beep beep beep. 

Fuck.

Her mother had hung up.

Rangiku tried calling back but it said the caller was not available. 

Double fuck. Her own mother had blocked her.

***

After Ichigo finally woke up and dressed, the two musicians went down to the hotel breakfast place and grabbed a bite before returning to the tour bus. They were in a decent mood as they arrived in the early afternoon, and expected to be ushered inside and to get on the road to the venue right away.

That was not the case. As soon as Shuhei stepped into the bus, Orihime gave him a side-eyed glance and disappeared. Then he found himself yanked over by the elbow into the common area of the bus. “What the hell, dude?” he complained loudly as he saw the owner of the hand that grabbed him.

Ulquiorra’s iPad was plunked into Shuhei’s hands. “Watch this,” he said and tapped play on the video. The green-eyed man shoved Shu towards a chair. “You’re going to  _ love  _ what she said.”

So Shuhei did. He watched. He did not love it. He grew increasingly more sick to his stomach as the minutes ticked by. Nel, in pure Nel fashion, was just wheedling and wheedling away at Rangiku, saying whatever she thought would make the woman the most uncomfortable. Why the hell would she do that? It made no sense! What did she have to gain besides hurting a woman she didn’t even know, for a guy she didn’t even care about?

“...I went down on him when I was sixteen…”

“...He wanted to screw me without a condom but I wouldn’t let him…”

“...He told me he’d never love anyone like he loved me. Poor boy. I’m not really all that into Asians…”

“...I don’t know why he wouldn’t be satisfied, though, I fucked him at least twice a day for several months. My boyfriend knew. He liked to watch. I wonder if he lets Shu fuck his wife now and watch…”

“...Shu was always jealous of Ulquiorra. He wanted me to love him like I loved  _ my  _ Ulqui. I mean, Shuhei was a sweetheart, to me at least, but I needed more romance. Shuhei was too poor to buy me the things I liked or take me out. It’s too bad, too, because he could be a dildo model…”

It just went on and on and on. One ridiculous, far-fetched story after another. And everytime Rangiku asked a question, Nel would circle back to him.

Why?

Shuehei was half tempted to punt Ulquiorra’s iPad. When he passed it back, he put his elbows on his bouncing knees and chewed on an imaginary hangnail. He wanted to call her. He wanted to call Rangiku and tell her that Nel was a psychotic bitch and he was sorry that anyone he had ever known would treat her the way she had. But Rangiku had requested distance.

So he did the next best thing.

“Ulq? Can you tell Rangiku I’m sorry that Nel baited her and that she shouldn’t feel bad about the interview? I know the interview wasn’t her choice. Tell her… Just tell her.” He didn’t wait for a response and just went to his bed. He stayed there until it was time to get to work.


	35. Chapter 35

Ulquiorra didn’t call Rangiku until after the holiday was over and he was back in Los Angeles. He’d be in the city before flying back to Orihime for his birthday.

“Hey Ulq. How is it going?”

“You sound fake as fuck and stressed. How are you doing?” Ulquiorra asked as he got out of the car and let the dogs out of the back. Of course Ulq had to carry Donnie to the yard. Heaven forbid he let the chunky runt Corgi walk on his own.

He heard Rangiku sigh. He heard her sniffle. “You know… Just hoping that this is all a bad dream and I’m… I’m… I want to go back to that Thursday and never talk to your wife. Actually, no wait… I want to go back to that party you guys threw and wish I never spoke to him. Or let’s go back further to my birth and negate that.”

“You’re having a pity party for yourself.”

“Fuck you! I’m allowed.”

“I told him the same things I told you,” Ulquiorra said with a huff as he unlocked the door to the house and let himself inside. As much as he loved his wife, sleeping on a tour bus wasn’t the best thing.

“Yeah? What’d he do?”

“He cares about you. He wanted to know what we talk about.”

“Yeah… well he wanted to be all up in my business about you too. Doesn’t he fucking get it I don’t want to go to a medical professional with this? I cannot be seen leaving a psychiatrist?”

“But you’ll allow yourself to be photographed leaving a gynecologist?”

“I’m a woman!”

“The point is, Ran, you need to move on now. I think Shuhei decided to do the same. He didn’t come back to the bus the night I got there. He had hickeys--.”

Ulquiorra was not prepared for the anguished cry or the sobs that erupted from the phone. The sound went on for at least fifteen minutes and it varied in intensity. She just kept crying. 

“Shu--”

SOB.

“Ran, come on. Do you want to hear a story?”

“No, I want you to go die in a fire. Why? Why tell me that? It’s none--”

“You’re in love with him. You have feelings for him. You’ve told me this. Shuhei cares for you. I can see it written all over his face when someone mentions you. The fact that he wanted to know what we have discussed is enough proof that he feels more than lust for you.”

“I’m still Gin’s bitch, though, to him.”

“Ran--”

“Don’t fucking call me that! He calls me that. I hate it, but I love hearing him say it.”

Ulquiorra sighed. “He watched the interview.”

“Good for him. Hopefully he watched it while shacked up with the damn Rockettes.”

“Are you going to listen to what he asked me to tell you?”

“No.”

The green-eyed man hung up and then sent Shuhei a text message.

\- … Dude. Yall are fucked up. I’ll tell you what happened when I see you on the 1st.

***

On December first, she walked into the exclusive posh salon on Rodeo Drive looking stressed. She was stressed. Ulquiorra Cifer had told her that the guy she wanted, the guy she had feelings for, probably fucked someone else. 

"Girl, you're working on television now. You can't come to me looking like these hands are doing common work," Yylfordt said as she sat down at the table he worked at. "How many weeks has it been?"

"Over two months."

"Shit. You look like hell, sweetie."

Rangiku sighed. “I know. I’ve been… busy.”

A smile played over the nail tech’s mouth. “That’s what you call that hunk of a man? Busy? I know… you’re just friends but GIRL… I’d be more than just friends with him. What do you want today?”

“Mid-length coffin nails. I want them red… Chicago Red? Something to do with a sports team?”

“Ooooh, someone is feeling the Christmas spirit!” Yylfordt spun around in his chair and looked on the wall of colors. “Hmmm, there’s a company out there that makes this metallic red color. It is to die for. How about--” He snatched a bottle off the shelf and then stood up, walking towards another one of the displays. “A bit of bling? Swarovskis?”

Rangiku left the shop an hour later with medium red nails and a crystal near the cuticle line of each finger. She took a picture of them and posted it to Instagram.

_ Itsrangiku posted: _

_ New nails! #rednails #yourfavoritecolor #merrychristmas @yylfnails! Go visit him. _

It was just a color.

She was on her way home when Gin called her.

“Darling,” he chirped. 

“Hey Gin.”

“That’s not any way to greet the person who pays you,” he said.

“Well you’re not exactly paying me. What do you need? I’m kinda busy at the moment. I’ve got some research to do.” Rangiku wasn’t having this shit today. Not right now. 

“I’m having a Christmas party. I’d like for you to host it with me. You know--”

Rangiku sighed. “No, I can’t right now Gin. I have a lot of work to do. I mean a lot. Jugo doesn’t just hand me information about these people I talk to. I have to go find it out for myself.”

“Very well. Talk to you later, darling.”

***

Shuhei was relieved to see Ulquiorra when the driver dropped him off in Austin. “Dude, don’t deck me this time,” he joked, pretending to guard his face and flinch.

Orihime had considered renting everyone rooms at the Hyatt OIV had stayed in with her when they were there for South by Southwest a few years ago, but she didn’t want to bring up memories of Nemu, and ultimately decided on renting out a pair of suites at a four-star hotel: a huge one-bedroom for her and Ulquiorra, and a very nice two-bedroom for Ichigo and Shuhei. They’d be there for two nights before making their way to San Antonio. 

“Well you might deck me this time,” Ulquiorra said to Shuhei in passing. He kissed his wife and then waved at Ichigo. “Hailey and Grimmjow love you and wanted me to give you hugs and kisses but I declined to do that. Also, your daughter is the cutest thing ever.”

“I know!” Ichigo said. “It’s not fair that you get to snuggle with her. She looks so big! It’s killing me not to be with her right now. But if you want to hug and kiss me, feel free,” he added with a smirk.

“Why am I gonna deck you?” Shu asked after Ulquiorra was done giving Ichigo the finger.

“Eh,” he said. “I told Rangiku.”

“What did you tell her?” He didn’t know what Ulquiorra was talking about. It had been awhile since they spoke and a lot had happened in that time.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime then back at Shuhei. “I told her about your one night in Chicago.”

“Why the fuck would you do that? You don’t know anything about it!” Shuhei looked between Ulquiorra and Orihime with a confused look on his face.

“You’re right. I don’t. I made assumptions. I know that you didn’t come back that night. You had a hickey on your neck. Grimmjow filled in the blanks.” Ulquiorra looked at Shuhei. “She knows.”

“I did not have a hickey, I--So what if she knows?” he asked. This was bullshit. First of all it was none of Rangiku Matsumoto’s business who he did or didn’t fuck. She was probably doing the same thing all over LA. She was still collecting a paycheck from Ichimaru, so she was more or less on retainer for sexual favors to him, anyway.

“Okay then,” Ulquiorra said in a flat tone. With the way Shuhei was acting he didn’t need to know anything else. “If you’ll excuse me, it’s my birthday and I want to stare at my wife for a while.”

“Awww,” Ichigo said. “Excuse me while I barf. I’ve been staring at your wife every night for two months. Wanna trade eyes?”

Ulquiorra contemplated punching Ichigo but the look from Orihime stopped him. “I can always join you guys. I mean I have no obligations at the moment.”

“Oh?” Orihime’s eyes went from scolding to excited in an instant. “You want to do that?”

Shuhei said nothing but looked at them with slightly flared nostrils, as if he had detected a mildly offensive smell. He had been getting along with Ulquiorra, but ever since the guy decided to play camp counselor he’d been insufferable. He could imagine it only getting worse if he rode along for the tour. “I’m gonna just--” he muttered, and went to sit in his bunk.

“Why don’t you call Momo and relive old times? I mean we are in Austin.” Ulquiorra knew he was waving red flags at Shuhei as if he were a bull.

Shuhei sneered at the birthday boy over his shoulder. “Oh? Yeah, so she can beat the shit out of me again? Oh hey, while we’re at it, if we’re reliving old memories…” he stopped himself. It would be shitty of him to ruin Orihime’s night.

“Come, Woman. I need some space.”

She nodded. “We’ll be at the hotel in about an hour and then we can all get cleaned up and rest a bit and maybe then we’ll be in the mood to celebrate a bit. This is a nice place, so be nice,” she warned.

“Roger,” Shuhei said and tipped his head, disappearing into his bunk. He took out his phone and pulled up Instagram. He checked out  _ itsrangiku _ . More typical posts. Nails. Selfies. That one where she clarified that they were nothing to each other.

He didn’t understand why everyone was up his ass about her. She had made it clear time and time again that while she entertained fantasies about a perfect world where they could have endless sex and maybe be lazy in bed together, she had absolutely no interest in being in a real relationship with him.

And seriously, what got up Ulquiorra fucking Cifer’s ass? He was playing matchmaker one moment and then telling everyone to move on to the next. And then fucking instigating drama by telling Ran shit he knew nothing about after he took the other man’s advice!

There was only one conclusion he could make. Ulquiorra was as nutty as Rangiku. No wonder they had this bizarre camaraderie going on.

He scrolled up Ran’s Instagram page and tapped on the newest picture. Nails. Long-ass fake nails. Just like her fake feelings. No, scratch that, she clearly had very real feelings for herself and her lifestyle. The feelings that were fake were the ones concerning him. The nails were a pretty color, though. Then the hashtags caught his eye.  _ #yourfavoritecolor _ .

Huh.

Nice try, Ran. Not quite.

He turned on his bedside lamp. He was wearing a pair of Chicago Bulls shorts. He pulled them down low enough to very nearly show his pubes, but not quite. He lifted his shirt, taking a picture of his abs and pelvis, and posted it with the hashtags,  _ #nicetry #gobulls #myactualfavoritecolor _ .

He smirked as the likes and comments began to pile up. He glanced at them briefly, until he was interrupted by a text message. It was from Orihime.

  * Please be nice. It’s his birthday. I know he’s antagonizing you. You can address it tomorrow. Please?



Shuhei sighed.

  * Yeah. Tell him I didn’t sleep well last night and I need to rest a bit. I just can’t deal until I’ve had a chance to cool off.



The reply came immediately.

  * TY!



Orihime had been laying in her bunk with Ulquiorra, who was rummaging through a bag while she tried to be discreet about sending the quick messages to her tourmate. When he looked up, she quickly flipped the phone over, and then brushed her hair out of her face, pretending to be casual. She was not super great at this whole being sneaky business.

“Telling him not to be mad at me?” Ulquiorra asked as he pulled a pair of pajama pants from his overnight bag. “Or is he whining to you about what I did?”

She gave him a sheepish look. “I told him to be nice. You two can have it out tomorrow if that’s what you want, but I want today to be a good time.”

“I wanted this to be a good year, but since you invited him and Matsumoto into our lives...” Ulquiorra exhaled. “I’m sorry, that’s not fair of me. I’m just very frustrated with everything. I hate you being gone. I want everyone to just go away. The worst part is Grimmjow. He’s bored and says there’s only so much he can jerk off. I can’t tolerate him. He called me the moment I turned my phone back on blabbing about how Shu made some bitch scream. I guess Ivan got laid that night or something too.”

“No he didn’t,” Orihime said matter-of-factly. “Shuhei did, but Ichigo didn’t. And why doesn’t Grimmjow just sleep with Hailey? She should be good to go by now; well past being good to go.”

“You have to ask Ivan about their sexual dynamics. I have no cares for them. But I imagine with a human eating machine and the diner open twenty four seven… Hailey doesn’t get much sleep or time to herself.” Ulquiorra pulled his T-shirt off before laying down and losing his jeans. He made sure his voice was a whisper. “Ran is… torn up. Her parents disowned her; they found out what she does for a living and said they didn’t have a kid. She is thinking of relocating. I told her it might be for the best.”

Orihime’s brows shot up. “Maybe you should leave the advice to the professionals. Where else is she going to be profitable being just a pretty face attached to a hot body except in a gentlemen’s club? Let’s not push her off a cliff. That sucks about her parents. I mean, wow. I don’t know what parents are supposed to be like or do, but that seems definitely on the “do not do” list.” She took a deep breath, sat up, and looked out the window a bit before looking back down at him. “You’re really not selling that baby thing, by the way.”

“We could get a nanny. Hailey has one but refuses the help. Whenever I go over there she hands me Lore and takes a nap.”

“I’ve read that breastfeeding is a lot of hard work, but it’s supposed to be well worth it. It’s best for the baby and mom gets a lot of benefits too… It’s just like, as long as it goes on it’s your whole life,” she said, looking at him with an unsure expression. “A nanny can’t help with that.”

“She looks so happy when she’s around Lore. Grimmjow is taken with both of them. I’m not going to push you into this kid thing. We have years to decide when the time is right,” Ulquiorra said. He looked at Orihime, smiling at her. “We could practice.”

She raised a brow at him. “Right now? Don’t want to wait for the ultra swanky suite I got us?”

His eyebrows flashed at her. “I can go all night and you know it. I can go all day too.”

“As soon as I am done with this tour I plan on testing that assertion.”

“I’ve proven this many times. Don’t challenge me, because I will make you scream in pleasure.”

“You wanna show those boys how a real man does it? Be my guest,” she teased and then bent down to kiss him. “Happy birthday, Hotshot,” she said, smiling as she sat back up.

“I’ll wait. I don’t want to rub it into their faces that you get mind blowing sex while they get groupies.”

Orihime knit her brows at him. “Do Grimm and Hailey really think Ichigo is banging groupies? Because I can assure you that he is not.”

“No, I was under that assumption.” Ulquiorra said. “You mean he’s not out doing things with people? Has—it’s none of my business.”

She shook her head. “No, he’s always back here as fast as possible to FaceTime with Lorelei and then he’s in for the night. The only exception was last month when he and Shu made themselves scarce for our benefit.”

Ulquiorra sighed as he pulled on his pajama pants. “I would have gotten us a room. If I knew Hisagi was going to do dumb shit, I would have.”

“Be fair, Babe,” she said. “You’re the one who told them both to move on. I know you love her now or whatever but she didn’t want a relationship with him, either. If she really did, she could have made it work. You know that.”

He scoffed. “I love her as much as my sister. She’s like a bigger version of Evie. She cried for fifteen minutes when I told her about Shu. She told me to go die in a fire. This morning she told me to be safe. Definitely a sibling thing.”

Orihime sighed. She had mixed feelings about his relationship with the former vlogger. On one hand, her husband needed friends. On the other, why her? She was toxic. He had loathed her. Shuhei and Ichigo had both tried to befriend him, and he rejected them. Not to mention that Rangiku made Orihime look like a toad next to her. She couldn’t help but feel somewhat threatened by it, especially since it had developed during her absence. “Well, I don’t get it. Maybe the less I know about it, the better,” she said, lying down and staring at the ceiling.

“It’s keeping Rangiku out of trouble and out of our lives. However, the more I know about her, the more she goes into the I want to punt you in the ocean pile where Grimm and Ivan are.” Ulquiorra laid an arm over Orihime’s waist. “We need to let it be. I’m going to try and keep my nose out of it from now on.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing since twisty straw wine night,” she answered.

***

Ulquiorra rode along with the tour through the rest of Texas, Denver, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, and then back home on December 20th. It had been a tepid atmosphere overall. Shuhei had noticed that Orihime was feeling stressed. Ichigo was feeling stressed. Ulquiorra was feeling stressed, but that was nothing new.

Shuhei was looking forward to getting back to a normal life for a few weeks, playing with the dogs and ignoring people. Those plans were thwarted as they were driving up the coast from downtown to Malibu, when he got a call from Hanataro.

“Hello Mr. Hisagi! Our promotion team has scheduled a few appearances in television and radio to keep the buzz going in anticipation of a music video we’ll be filming while you’re back. We’ll film it here in the studio before Christmas and have it out for the new year.”

Great. 

“Okay, um, text me the schedule. What’s the single?”

“A Thousand Years.”

Jesus Christ. “Are you kidding?”

“Nope. Kisuke thinks it has a lot of romantic winter vibes, so there you go,” the nervous man said as if that explained everything.

“Okay. I’ll look at the schedule and make sure I’m available,” he said, rolling over and wishing he was a baker.

***

“No.” Rangiku’s head whipped back and forth. “Jugo, no.  _ Please _ . Don’t make me do this.”

“Ran, What is the big deal? They finally accepted our request. Your ratings are huge. The network is thinking about moving your show up after the new year.” Jugo sat on the corner of her desk, eating some grapes.

What was the big deal? 

Shuhei Hisagi was on her guest list and she had to interview him. “Can I look over the question list?”

“No, you get them the day of the interview, you know this. They’re tame. Don’t worry. I’m going to give you every opportunity to drag him for the Nel thing.”

That was like the exact opposite of what she wanted to do. Despite having her heart crushed to pieces, Rangiku was still cheering for Shuhei to do well. She had quietly unfollowed him on Instagram. It just hurt too much seeing any post from him. The torso shot had been a slap in the face to her. 

She didn’t want to talk to Ulquiorra about this. She hadn’t talked to him since his birthday. She really only talked to Rose and Shinji and Jugo. Occasionally she would text Accutrone about something. Gin hadn’t talked to her since she refused him. 

It didn’t go unnoticed that there was only two thousand dollars deposited into her account that month. Rangiku hoped the silver-haired man would get the hint and quit paying her altogether. She didn’t need him. She didn’t need his money. She was already making money from The Rumor Mill. She made money off her videos and the sponsorships she did on Instagram. She learned a long time ago  _ not  _ to accept product as payment.

Rangiku sighed. She could call Gin and tell him it was over. She had money stashed away. Sure it was wrapped up in stocks. It wasn’t a lot, but her money person assured her it was comfortable. There was a safety deposit box with money in it. She had a savings account. 

Looking at the amount in that bank account, Rangiku decided that her resolution for next year was to cut ties with Gin completely. She wouldn’t use his money for anything. She’d tell him goodbye.

She would show people that she was much more than a whore.

*** 

Orihime laid on the floor in the hallway after Jon dropped off the dogs and let them bury her. “Oh my sweet babies,” she cooed at them, letting them whine and step on her and lick her cheeks, something she’d usually never, ever allow. When Donnie and King were done they scampered after Shu and made sure to bother him plenty and rewelcome him into the house. Princess, on the other hand, appeared to have no interest in letting Orihime ever leave her side again as she sat on the woman’s legs with her paws on Orihime's shoulders, sniffing at her neck .

“Yes, baby girl, I love you and missed you too,” she said, losing her fingers in the thick gray, white, and brown fur. Princess let out a low whine that broke Orihime’s heart. “I’m sorry girl,” she whispered and gave the dog a big hug. 

Ulquiorra watched from the doorway of the kitchen and smiled. Prin had always had a soft spot for Orihime, taking to the woman immediately after Ulquiorra brought her home after Aizen attacked her. “Prinny, c’mon. Mommy will be home—”

“Boof!” Princess barked and looked at her human parents.

“I guess she missed you.”

“It’s mutual, Prinny, but I want to get up, so off,” Orihime said, pushing the malamute off of her with all her strength and only being successful enough to roll out from underneath her.

“Princess, do you want to go outside?” Ulquiorra asked the huge dog. The tail thumped several times but Princess didn’t move. “Woman, you might have to take her with you.”

She looked up at him with a nod. “You are going to take a lot of space on the bus.” She decided to bribe the dog into giving her some space. “Treats?”

Immediately the giant dog was off of her and prancing toward the pantry where she knew the dog treats were kept. “Pfew!” Orihime said, sparing Ulquiorra a small smile.

He reached down and offered Orihime a hand to pull her up. “Now you gotta give her a snack! Donnie! King! Treat time!”

There was a clamoring of claws against the wood floors as the male dogs skidded to a stop behind Princess. “King only gets one since you said he was fat.”

“He looks better, though, don’t you think?” She disappeared into the pantry and came back out a moment later with a box of treats and walked out to the backyard to dispense them.

Shuhei came out of his room and into the kitchen as she left, opening the fridge and looking inside. “Huh, guess we need to restock. I can go later, I have nothing else to do today,” he muttered, then turned to go back to his room.

Ulquiorra caught his arm before he got far. Shuhei seemed off. “You okay?” He asked.

Shuhei looked down at the hand on his arm and then followed it to Ulquiorra’s face, where he stared expressionlessly for a few moments before answering, “I’m just tired.”

The green eyed man knew that feeling. He had been on tour several times in the past four years. “It’s to be expected. Touring takes a lot of energy. It’s good to have you home, though. Sorry I drank all the beer.”

Shuhei raised a brow at that comment. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just happy my people are back.”

Shuehei gave him a half smile before turning his back on him and walking away. “Let me know if you need anything. We can have a beer later.”

“You too man.”

Orihime came back in, leaving the dogs outside, and looked at her husband. “I think we need to talk, do you have a minute?”

Ulquiorra turned towards her and nodded. “Sure, what’s up?”

She turned toward the steps to go downstairs and gestured for him to follow. When they got to their room, she closed the door and turned to face him. “Now what?” she asked. She didn’t plan on putting it that way, but it was the gist of her multitude of questions for him.

“Now what, what? I was just making sure he was okay. You know how touring can be. It drains you,” Ulquiorra said. “I missed your faces around here. The dogs missed you. Can’t I try to repair whatever friendship he and I have?” 

“Of course, and I hope that you do. That’s not what I meant, though. I was talking about for you. You’ve been hanging out with us on tour, which I loved, but what is next for you? We haven’t had a chance to talk about it.”

Oh. She wasn’t talking about that. “Uh. Well… As a recording artist of Soul Society. You can say hello to IV, aka me. I was going to ask you if you wanted to record a song together. I was going to ask Shuhei, and Hailey and Grimmjow, if they wanted to do songs with me.” Ulquiorra said. “Wonder and I are talking with Kenpachi and Ukitake to write some songs. Also Nan is now my manager. I’m paying her with my managerial allowance or whatever. I have to find a new stylist, but for now, I’ll use whatever Soul Society provides me.”

Her grin was brilliant. “Yes! YES! I have been waiting to do this since Sado’s!” she squealed, bouncing toward him for a hug.

He caught her and swung her around. “You know I would have sung with you at any time. I mean we have duets in the kitchen all the time, but this means we can actually put them out there. I can upload them to YouTube just like old times. By the way, what do you want for Christmas?”

“Hmm, besides you?” she asked, waggling her brows at him and giggling, then affecting an aristocratic tone, “Oh, you know. Diamonds. Pearls. Pearl necklaces.” She couldn’t keep this up, and snorted a laugh.

“You are a perv. I’m trying to have a serious conversation and you want to talk about me giving you a facial. I can totally do that… later… but seriously, Orihime. I don’t know what to give the girl who has everything or could go out and buy everything.”

“Hmm, let me think about it. But really, you don’t have to get me anything. No! I know!” She smiled and looked aside in a dreamy sort of way. “I want you to record a song for me. I want you to dedicate it to me and I want it posted on YouTube on Christmas morning. It had better be cheesy. It had better be cliché. I want sickeningly sweet.”

“Anything else for my Queen?” Ulquiorra said. “Jewelry? Designer shoes? Lingerie? A gift card to La Perla?” In all actually he had already bought her that stuff. He was fishing, though, to see if she wanted anything else. “Tomorrow we can put up our little tree and hope that King doesn’t destroy it this year.”

She shook her head. She really didn’t need anything else. “I just want your attention. That’s all. What do you want?” She had already gotten him some gifts but she didn’t want to miss anything.

“A new violin.” Ulquiorra looked at her and took a deep breath. He had never replaced the one he destroyed. If he was rebranding himself, he was going to put the past behind him. Since Orihime had loved hearing him play the instrument, he figured he would incorporate the sound into IV’s rotation.

“Aww,” she could not help the utterance. Tears came to her eyes and she nodded as she recalled the look on his father’s face when he had played at his home in Ohio, while trying to block out the memory of him obliterating the instrument and the rest of his belongings there.

“I know. It’s time to put 2019 away instead of beating myself up over it everyday. At least that’s what my new therapist says,” Ulquiorra said.

“Well, speaking of moving forward, there’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” She sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at him.

Ulquiorra sat down on the floor in front of her and looked up at his wife. “What?” he asked.

“Well, there are two things. One is easier than the other, which do you want first?”

“Give me the difficult one first.”

“Rangiku.” She let the word hang in the air on its own for a moment and then took a deep breath, looking at her hands. This was hard. She didn’t want to be the person she was, insecure and jealous, but she was. If she didn’t address this it would eat away at her and them. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. “I know you say she annoys you, and I’m glad you’ve made an ally, but…” God, she was ashamed of herself.

“She’s dropped me, Veggs. I’ve not heard from Ran since my birthday. I’m okay with not being friends with her. I kinda got that it made you uncomfortable. I mean she really did annoy me. I can’t do women who throw fits,” Ulquiorra said. “It’s okay. Really. I mean… I live with Shu, I need to be on friendly terms with him, don’t I?”

“Well, yeah, but it was hard to take that you took her side over his, and mine. I mean… ugh. She used to be my friend and she screwed us. I don’t even know what my point is in all of this, but it made me feel jealous that you were talking to her privately, and especially when I was away.”

Ulquiorra got to his knees and stretched to kiss Orihime. “You know at anytime you may read the messages between us. I’m sorry I made you feel insecure. It wasn’t my intention.”

Another sigh, and she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. “It doesn’t help that she looks like a goddess, and in her presence I look like a troll.”

“There is one difference between you and Rangiku. Well, a couple. One, you’re short, and I happen to love short women. You’re down to earth and only require high-end lingerie. You’re not high maintenance. You’re like a cat. You know when to bother me and when not to. You’re not a diva. When’s the last time you went out and got your nails done or hair or whatever women do? Ran does that shit weekly or whatever. I don’t know,” Ulquiorra said. “I love you. You are not a troll. If anything, she’s a troll compared to you. I love my wife. Every inch; every skin cell; every stretch mark. I love you Orihime. No one else. No one would take your place in my life.”

She squeezed his shoulders. “You don’t deny the goddess thing though. Ugh. Sometimes living in this town sucks. Everyone here is so perfect.”

“Did you miss the part where I called her a troll? You are my goddess. I am a Vegasexual. I worship you.”

She laughed. “Then come, lay at my altar. I will feast upon your offerings,” she said, chuckling and reaching down to tickle his ribs.

Ulquiorra squirmed and scooted away from her slightly. “What’s the other thing, my love? I will give you offerings later by the way.”

She smirked and kissed him. “I’m thinking of taking some time off after this tour. I want to help Ivan. He is desperately unhappy. I don’t know if you’ve noticed; you two are always antagonistic to each other.”

“He’s only unhappy because he’s away from his family. Grimmjow talks about Ivan all the time. You can tell that this is killing all of them,” Ulquiorra replied. “He’s probably happy as a peach right now having loads of sex with Hailey and Grimm while Ururu keeps an eye on Lore. I have no clue though. But, I promise to be nicer to Ivan. That’s one of my goals for next year.”

“Well that’s good, but I don’t mean personally. Professionally, he’s languishing. He hates being on tour with me because of his family but even if he was single, he’d still be unfulfilled.”

Ulquiorra nodded. Classical music wasn’t all that exciting to Ulquiorra. He knew Grimmjow and Ichigo butted heads over the fact the blue-haired man didn’t consider it music. “Let’s give Ivan something to do. Can he sing? I know Hails has some pipes. Maybe they can do something together. They can use our studio to figure something out. Grimmjow has a surprise for Ichigo anyway.”

“No. He doesn’t sing. He wants to focus on classical music. I know you guys don’t get it, and he certainly doesn’t seem the type, but it is what he loves to do. He wants to finish his degree. He wants to be recognized for what he thinks he is best at.”

That was surprising to hear. He had to wonder if everyone who had dropped out of college to join them out here felt the same way. “Hey, if it makes Ivan happy, he should do it but… How about you? You were supposed to take a break from school. Do you want to go back?”

“Meh,” she said with an irreverent smile. “That was when I was just Orihime Inoue going through the motions for Auntie Claire. Now I’m Orihime Cifer, kicking ass and taking names on tour and in the studio and raking in the big bucks. School is for suckers like Ivan,” she said with a chuckle.

A smile spread on Ulquiorra’s face. “Grimmjow asked me where to get a Steinway. I laughed at him. He’s turning his pool house into a home studio for him and Ichigo.”

“Awww!” Orihime said, smiling. “You guys. You are big softies.”


	36. Chapter 36

Christmas came. Ulquiorra had purchased Orihime a music note necklace from some uppity place in New York. He also got her a gift voucher for La Perla. He also saw a pair of shoes at the mall and went in and purchased those. His wife would look hot in them. Hopefully she liked all of her gifts. He was saving the best one for last, though.

For Shuhei, he bought the man a pack of white tube socks and an acoustic guitar that was like his own, but it was stained red. The Martin Whiskey Sunset Series acoustic guitars were awesome and he knew Shu would appreciate it. He had also got him a pack of strings, a guitar strap and a case for it. There was also a custom video game controller for him. They had bought another video game console so that they could play co-op games after the guy came off tour.

He was practically bouncing around Christmas morning, jumping on to the bed to wake Orihime up. Ulquiorra didn’t sleep much still and had been up early to post the video onto YouTube. “Up! Get up!”

The green-eyed man was interrupted by the gate buzzer. “Who the fuck could that be? It’s Christmas day.”

He opened up the app on his phone and looked at the delivery truck in the driveway. He pressed the circle which would allow him to be heard. “Yeah?”

“Oh! I have a delivery for Shuhei Hisagi? Did I say that right?”

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. “Okay, does someone need to sign for it?”

“Yup.”

“Give me a minute.”

The rockstar poked his wife in the cheek. “Wake upppp. I’m going to get this whatever and then I expect you to be up, Woman.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” she grumbled, cracking an eye open to watch him leave and then hopping out of bed. She had hidden all her presents in her closet and got too tired watching Christmas movies with Ulquiorra and Shuhei the night before, meaning Love Actually and Die Hard, to bring them up before she fell asleep. So she dragged the enormous guitar-shaped pool floatie, the custom-made twisty straws with each resident’s name bent into it, new fancy leather collars done by some saddle maker up in Napa for each of the dogs, and a slate-stained pallet-board sign that read, “The Cifers, Est. 12-28-22” in a pretty script. She also got each of the boys some video games they had talked about but never got around to buying and another couple of consoles that they were missing for the living room. Her favorite thing, however, was a large framed print of a photo she had Jon Cifer take of all of them and the dogs during a family barbecue after Shuhei moved in. 

By the time Ulquiorra came back inside, all the presents were upstairs and coffee was made. “You want to go get our son?” Orihime joked as Ulquiorra came back inside.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime and held the box out to her. “Look first. Should we give it to him?”

Orihime looked and sighed. It was either from his mother or Rangiku, and having a gift delivered on Christmas morning didn’t seem like a mom kind of move. “It’s not our call to make. Maybe we wait until last, though, in case he wants to do it in private?”

The box he held had loopy script with the name R. Matsumoto and her address on it. Shuhei’s name was written in the same script. “Wait, she lives in Sherman Oaks?” Ulquiorra asked and then bust out laughing.

“What? I thought she lived in Beverly Hills,” Orihime said, knitting her brows.

Ulquiorra tapped the address into his phone and then turned it towards Orihime. “It’s an apartment building in Sherman Oaks. Okay… that’s… That’s kinda of humbling. Alright I’m gonna go get the boy up. Put this under the tree.”

“Okay! I made coffee!” she took it and put the box under the tree near the back.

He walked down the hall to Shuhei’s room and tapped on the door. “Shu, wake up man,” he called out.

“Morning,” he answered, on the phone but looking at Ulquiorra. “Yeah, I love you too, Mom. Tell Rich I say Merry Christmas. I’m glad you liked the sweater and the necklace. Yep. Bye.”

He set his phone down and then stood up. “Is she already out there hopping up and down like a three year old?” he asked the other man with a small smile.

“Nope, she’s the adult this year. I’ve been up since six trying to contain my excitement,” Ulquiorra replied. He looked at Shu for a moment. “Um… You got a package this morning. It’s under the tree. If you want, I can bring it in here for you. You can open it whenever.”

“Oh, uh, okay… I mean I can get it,” Shuhei said, approaching the door.

“Well we do presents first and then we eat--Woman! What are you making for breakfast?” Ulquiorra shouted.

“CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH!”

Shuhei raised an eyebrow at Ulquiorra. “Fancy,” he commented sarcastically.

The green-eyed man laughed. “Nah, that’s code for if I want something hot that I’m going to have to make it myself. I came prepared this year. Bake yourself cinnamon rolls.”

“As long as there is coffee, I’ll eat whatever,” he chuckled. “Shall we?”

“She made coffee, that’s her job on Christmas morning,” Ulquiorra said as they walked down the hall to the other room. “Really Veggs? Cinnamon Toast Crunch?”

“I mean, I can probably scrounge up some raisin bran or even some oatmeal and bananas, what’s your pleasure?”

Ulquiorra smiled at her and walked over to the fridge, opening it and extracting two cylinders of those premade cinnamon rolls. “These. I’m gonna preheat the oven and stuff. Get coffee and go sit. I’m excited.”

“I LOVE THOSE,” Orihime said and went over to the coffee maker. “Black?” 

“You know it,” Shu answered. “Ulq?”

“Hmmm?” Ulquiorra asked as he got down a dish to put the food in. “Yeah?”

“Creamer or milk or anything?”

“Uh, hmmm, the peppermint creamer. I feel like being basic today,” he laughed. It was rare for him to be in this good of a mood, but he certainly wasn’t going to waste it.

“Okay. So, tell me, how do the Cifers do Christmas morning?” He asked, bringing the coffee over to where Ulquiorra was doling out portions of dough onto a pan.

Ulquiorra nodded for Shu to put the cup down beside him. “We usually uh, open presents, eat and then bitch about the lack of snow before going to my parents’ house. But, this year there is a change of plans. We’re going to Ivan’s house.”

Shuhei smirked at him. “You just want to pretend that Lore is your baby.”

He huffed. “Maybe Uncle Ulq got her something...”

Shuhei nodded in a knowing kind of way and went to go sit down on the couch near the tree. “So, who goes first? My stuff is all stuffed to the side here, so I can, but I got you guys all joint presents because I am uncreative.”

Ulquiorra finished his task and then popped both of the pans into the oven, setting the timer. “Okay,” he said, washing his hands then drying them on a paper towel. “Let’s do this. We usually just have a free for--What the fuck is that Orihime?” His eyes landed on the giant vinyl guitar propped up against the wall. “Oh no. No, no, no. We already have floaties. That thing is huge. Is this so we all can have a wine bottle to sip in the pool?”

“It’s part of it,” she said with a blush. “Here,” she said, handing out the identical gift bags and holding one of her own.

Shuhei took his and looked inside, then choked on a laugh and looked at Ulquiorra, waiting for his reaction.

He opened the bag and brought the straw out of the bag. His mouth pressed into a thin line. “Really?” Ulquiorra said before smiling at Orihime. “Jesus, my name is long.”

“It just means you’ll have to suck on this for a long time to get any wine into your mouth. Consider it a drink moderation device,” Orihime said with false offense as she pulled out a bendy straw with her own name looped into the bends. She had gotten one for Shuhei as well with his name on it.

“These are fantastic, Orihime,” Shuhei said, setting the bag down and reaching for one that he had prepared. “Here, this is for you guys,” he said, passing the bag to Ulquiorra. “I know your anniversary is coming up. Just in case, you know, things are getting stale.” He snickered and strategically placed his body on the other side of the sofa.

The green-eyed man looked at Shuhei and then Orihime before he peeked into the bag. “Oh god,” he said passing it to his wife. “This is the problem with having a wedding anniversary so close to Christmas. Joint presents.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not the only one I got you guys,” he chuckled and looked at Orihime as she pulled to canister with the words, “Kinky Truth or Dare Pick-A-Stick” written on it. 

Her face first looked terrified, but then a growing appreciation took its place. “Oh, we are _so_ using these,” she said, after opening the can and reading a stick that had, “ _Truth: Tell me the part of your body that I should get to know better_ ” written on it. “I think it’s your turn, Ulquiorra.” 

Ulquiorra shook his head, still smiling. He reached under the tree for a small box which had the guitar accessories in it for Shuhei but for Orihime, he grabbed the one package about the size of a shoe box. He handed out each gift to the two people and sat down on the floor.

Shuhei got to his first and looked at the set of accessories and smiled at his friend, saying, “Thanks man, this is great,” then pulled it out of the box to see that included with the tuning key and other things was a leather guitar strap in the style of a cowboy belt with his name on it and the number 69, which still remained tattooed, although faintly, on his cheek. “Dude, this is awesome,” he said, a bit awestruck, as he looked at it more carefully.

“You’re going to have to break that strap in, but Merry Christmas Shu.”

Shuhei smiled back but was distracted by a gasp. His attention turned to Orihime, who had just extracted a pair of off-white strappy stilettos with rhinestone accents on them from the box Ulquirora had handed to her. “Oh my god,” she gushed, looking at the sexy footwear. “I know they don’t really go with the Christmas jammies, but YOLO, right?” she said, strapping them to her feet and standing up to model them.

“Nothing but the best for my baby,” Ulquiorra said, smiling at her. He liked seeing her happy. “You look like my goddess, Veggs.”

She blushed and smiled at him, sighing happily. “Okay, my turn,” she said, dragging the wrapped sign from under the tree and pushing it to Ulquiorra, which was a comical sight in the high heels.

He tried to keep a straight face but seeing his woman trying to manhandle this big package was hilarious. “Maybe you should take the Valentino’s off before you kill yourself,” Ulquiorra said as he caught the side of the box.

She laughed and nodded, saying breathlessly, “Yeah, maybe these are not pre-coffee shoes.”

Shuhei laughed and took a sip of his coffee, waiting for Ulquiorra to open the gift Orihime had just passed to him, and feeling content at the moment. This was really nice.

Ulquiorra shook his head before he started to unwrap whatever was in front of him. The corner of the sign came into view and he raised a black brow at Orihime. “What is this?” He asked before tearing the paper down the middle. His eyes went wide as he stared at the sign. “Orihime?”

“Yes?” she asked, not sure if he was pleased or not.

“You might want to take those shoes off, because I’m going to tackle you. This is… I know exactly where I’m hanging it,” Ulquiorra said. He would have done it, too, but the timer went off, signaling the cinnamon rolls were done.

She was taking the shoes off, anyway, and shook her head. “Saved by the bell?” she said softly as his attention diverted to the oven. “Oh well.” She put the shoes back into the box and got up to pass Shuhei a bag full of video games she had gotten for him before calling out, “Do you need any help with those?”

“I got it,” Ulquiorra said as he handled the hot pans. He set them down to cool and poured the icing over the baked goods before he came back into the living room. “Gotta let them cool for a bit. I guess it’s my turn again?”

“Sure, unless you want to open yours like this one,” she said, holding up a bag of games and the box with the consoles for the living room.

Ulquiorra looked at the woman. “I think I’ll open it,” he said before taking the bag from her. “Dude! Holy--Nice, just nice… You went to the game store all by yourself?” He asked, teasing her.

“Yes! Can you believe it? It smelled like unwashed teens and gym socks and the cash register guy wouldn’t stop staring and asking if I needed help. Ew ew ew. I’ll stick to ordering stuff online in the future,” she said. “Okay, now it’s your turn. I still have one more and I think Shuhei has some more, right?”

The other man nodded. “Yeah, I have two more for you guys, but go ahead.”

Ulquiorra nodded and reached for medium box for Shuhei and then a tiny box for Orihime. He handed them out, biting his lip.

Orihime got to hers first, opening the wrapping paper and seeing a box with the familiar logo on it and smirking at her husband before opening the box to see a gift card. “Thank you,” she said in a knowing tone, before turning it over and seeing the amount loaded on the card. Her mouth fell open. “Holy shit, merry christmas, Mr. Cifer,’ she said with wide eyes.

Shu chuckled despite not knowing what it was, and opened his own gift, containing a PlayStation 4 with a custom controller. “Dude! You guys are awesome. Thank you this is fantastic,” he said. For some reason, despite being very happy and loving his gifts, there was a part of him that he was pushing back that was feeling increasingly melancholy. He took a bracing breath and stood up, approaching Ulquiorra and giving him a tight hug that lasted a second and then walking past him and getting his last two presents. He passed one to each of them. “These are for both of you but I figured you could each open one,” he said, handing the larger one to the man and the smaller one to the woman.  
  
  


Orihime opened hers first, and smiled at him. “These are adorable, Shu!” she said, holding up a pair of his and hers handmade, oversized coffee mugs with little sleepy smiling faces painted onto the unglazed portion at the top. “Thank you,” she said, leaning into him for a half-assed hug.

Ulquiorra opened the gift that Shuhei gave him, still somewhat shocked at the hug. He looked down at the pillow that said his and Orihime’s name. The pillowcase was printed with an image of a cassette tape with their names written on the label in blue marker. He showed Orihime and then nodded. “Wait, there’s the other side…Couple goals? Really? We’re a mess. But if you gave me a hug for a playstation… I wonder what my last gift to you is gonna get me.”

Shuhei felt a bit uncomfortable, but tried to roll with it. “Well, call me a romantic, but I think you guys have something most people wish they had. And, I mean, I think I maxed out on effusiveness. Um, yeah.” He was blushing pretty hard as he sunk deeper into the couch cushions.

“Thanks Shu.” Ulquiorra cleared his throat and looked at Orihime. “Last present time. You get two this round, Woman and then I’ll give Shu his last two.”

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said, holding her hands out and grinning like a goofball.

A small recognizable blue box was plunked into Orihime’s hands before Ulquiorra grabbed the television remote and brought up YouTube on it. He thanked God that he had purchased a smart tv. He handed her the remote. “Go to my channel.”

She smiled at him and did as he said, seeing a new video that already had a couple hundred thousand views. “Wow, you didn’t lose any steam,” she mentioned, pride in her eyes as she selected the new video and it began to play.

Ulquiorra’s face showed up and he was smiling with slightly pink cheeks. “Hey everyone. Merry Christmas from my family to yours. Uh, there will be an official announcement in a couple days but I’m changing my band name. It’s just me branching out. But this video isn’t about that. This is a Christmas gift to my wife, Vega Highwell. She wanted me to sing her a song for a present. So, Vega, my woman, uh, this is Richard Marx’s _Right Here Waiting For You._ I love you.”

The video cut to Ulquiorra holding his acoustic guitar and strumming the chords as he began to sing.

Orihime’s eyes filled with tears as the final verse closed and she gestured for Ulquiorra to come and sit with her as her fingers worked to open the Tiffany blue box. She glanced down to see a delicate silver chain with a music note pendant attached. “Thank you,” she whispered, hiding her face in his neck for a moment and kissing the skin there before removing the necklace from the box, holding it in one hand while she turned her face back to the video, watching it from her spot on his shoulder. Her free hand found his and squeezed.

Shuhei watched this out of his peripheral vision and felt a pain in his chest that was almost unbearable. He wanted what they had. He would have left them alone to enjoy a moment, but he still had a gift in hand, so he waited silently, trying to focus on the video and not the tender moment happening at the other end of the couch.

Ulquiorra had to untangle himself from Orihime, wiping her face of the tears and kissing her several times. “I’ll be right back. Okay? I’ve got to give Shu his gift.”

She nodded and grabbed a tissue off of the side table, letting Ulquiorra get away from her for now.

He smiled at his wife before he stood, walking over to the christmas tree. There was a large weirdly shaped box wrapped with paper that featured santa hat-wearing llamas. Ulquiorra picked up the box and handed it to Shuhei, handling it gently. “You deserve this, Shu. You did a great job handling this fame thing like you have. Congratulations, man.” With that said, he stepped back and sat down next to Orihime again.

Shuhei’s attention shifted to the other man for a moment and reoriented his body so that he could open the large gift without banging it onto the furniture. As he pulled the paper back, he recognized the soft cover guitar case. “No way, Dude,” he said, lifting it and figuring it wasn't just full of packing material. He ripped the rest of the paper off of the case and unzipped it. “Holy Shit. I know I live here but I didn’t know you loved me, Ulq. This is… This is awesome. I can’t even… Dude.” His eyes watered as his fingertips brushed down the frets of the Martin guitar, the red finish on the top of the body fading into a more natural light wood tone at the base. “She’s beautiful.”

He held it and strummed, smirking. It figured Ulquiorra would have it tuned perfectly. A small chuckle preceded his words as he said, “Sounds perfect. Thank you Ulq. Now I need to think of a name for my new baby.”

Orihime hugged her husband from the side and kissed him under the ear. “You big softie,” she whispered in his ear before ducking her head around to watch Shuhei play his new instrument.

His face turned red and Ulquiorra nodded. “I am not. I am a hard ass. Let’s get breakfast now.” Ulquiorra purposely didn’t mention the other box that sat under the tree.

“You two get started, I have one more but I can bring it into the kitchen,” Orihime said, sitting up.

Shuhei sat and strummed for a moment more, then got up to follow Ulquiorra into the kitchen. 

Orihime came in a minute later with a large rectangular package and said, “Now, technically this is for all of us so I’ll open it since you already have sticky icing fingers,” she said with a giggle. She made sure both pair of eyes were on her as she ripped the paper open to reveal a large, framed print of a photograph taken of the three of them and the dogs at the barbecue at their house taken right after Shuhei had arrived last summer. Orihime was grinning and looking a bit tipsy, pink-cheeked and holding onto the elbows of both men as she stood between them in a little white sundress. Princess stood in front of her. Ulquiorra was to her left, and she leaned into him more than Shuhei. Her husband was holding Donnie and giving his father, who had been the one to take the photograph, an unimpressed smirk. Shuhei looked a bit out of place but was offering a bashful smile as King stood beside him, looking up and sniffing at the then-new resident. “Ta-da!” Orihime said, looking down at it. “I’m going to hang it here in the breakfast area.”

“Good, because I was going to hang our new sign in here,” Ulquiorra said before licking some icing off his pinky finger.

Shuhei shook his head and laughed. “If I only knew then what I know now,” he muttered. “That’s adorable, Orihime. Come eat something now before I snarf it all.”

So she did. They ate, and after breakfast, Orihime took the dogs outside and gave them some special Christmas dog cookies and their new collars. She didn’t want to be there for when Ulquiorra gave the thing from Rangiku to Shuhei.

He watched his wife from the windows and sighed. “Shu?”

“Yeah?”

“You got a package this morning. I signed for it,” Ulquiorra replied. He turned around and looked at his roommate. “It was under the tree. I’m, uh, gonna take my new pool toy down to the pool house. Give you some privacy.”

“Oh, okay,” he said, taking the package from Ulquiorra and waiting for him to maneuver the comically large pool floatie out of the house. When the door was closed, Shuhei sat at the kitchen counter and looked at the package.

Matsumoto.

He sighed. She wasn’t supposed to send him anything. She was supposed to be moving on. He stared at the box for several moments before finally pulling off the packing tape and opening the box.

The first thing that caught his eye was a copy of the movie Tremors. Okay. He could deal with that. Was this supposed to be an olive branch or something? He smiled. He could deal with that. He thought about what he could do in return for a moment before taking the BluRay disc out of the box and spying another item inside.

This one was smaller. It had a department store logo under its wrapped surface. He opened the smaller box and saw silver. Cufflinks. Shaped like a treble clef and a pair of sixteenth notes. 

Okay, Shu. Calm your tits. Maybe it was also another friendly gesture. His resolve in that belief began to waver a bit as he saw the last thing in the box. A letter. Apparently he had opened the bottom of the box instead of the top. He glanced outside, and satisfied that the Cifers would be out there for some time, opened the document.

_Dear Shu._

_It’s me! You know who I am. :) Merry Christmas. I know it seems silly that I’m giving you a gift. I don’t care. I saw the movie when I was out shopping. I couldn’t help myself. Impulse purchases for the win!_

_My dad always says that a man needs a good pair of cufflinks and they would compliment any suit. Walking around a department store’s jewelry counter I saw these. I thought since you had a background in music with band and being a recording artist they were fitting._

_Happy Holidays. Keep doing what you’re doing, I’m cheering for you._

_Ran_

He felt like an asshole. He didn’t even really know why. He just did. The more he thought about it, the more he didn’t understand. Why was she hanging on? Why did she keep coming back? Yeah, this was a nice and not overly extravagant gesture, but it was not insignificant.

She was cheering for him. She was thinking of him. It had been well over a month since he last talked to her. She stopped liking his Instagram posts and she hadn’t tried to make any other contact. She had been talking to Ulquiorra and they had apparently come to the joint decision that it was best to part ways. So why?

A big, big, big-ass sigh. The mother of all sighs. He closed his eyes and walked toward the living room, leaving the package from Rangiku on the counter, and picking up his new guitar. He walked through the living room and outside with it. When the homeowners looked at him in confusion, he furrowed his brow and said, “Um, I need to…” and he pointed with his free hand to the studio. He didn’t really know what he was doing. He just knew that he hurt. Badly. Before he had the door to the studio open, his eyes were burning.

He couldn’t see the claw marks in the sofa they had destroyed in this room as he sat on it and started to lose his shit. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks. He gripped the knees of his sweatpants and swore as a sob choked him. What the fuck was this? Why did he feel like the world’s biggest fuck up?

Orihime had stared at the man as he walked past her and her husband with a look like he had just received bad news. She stood up and took a step toward the studio and then stopped herself. It had something to do with the package from Rangiku. Ulquiorra had spoken with her about him the most. He would be better suited for this. “Maybe you should go talk to him?” she suggested softly.

“I don’t know Veggs. He looks…” Ulquiorra recognized the look. He knew it well. He had worn it many times in the past five years. “Okay, um. Yeah.”

Ulquiorra put the corgi he was holding down on the grass and stood up, brushing his legs off. He walked towards the outbuilding that held his studio. He knocked before he entered the room, seeing Shuhei on the couch. He looked...He looked like Ulquiorra had looked years ago. Broken. Destroyed. Shattered. “Sorry for bugging you, but,” he said shifting where he stood. “You okay?”

Shuhei pushed a palm into his eyes. “No?” he answered. “I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me.”

“I know that box had to do with Ran. Did she do something bad? Did she--Is she slapping you with a lawsuit? Is she pregnant? What happened?”

The taller man shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. It was totally… totally pleasant. Civil. Whatever. A nice little gift and a nice little letter. There was nothing life-altering in it. The letter didn’t even say anything that personal in it. It was… It was reserved and impersonal, but, y’know, not mean. I don’t know. I don’t know why I’m overreacting,” he said with a big sniff.

“You’re not over her, are you?” Ulquiorra said as he sat down in his office chair, turning it to look at the other man. “I mean there was something there that never got to see the light but it was planted, right?”

Shuhei nodded. Ulquiorra nailed it. “It never went anywhere, but I could have seen it, y’know?” A shaky sigh, his broad shoulders shuddering a bit, and then he looked at the other man with wet, red-lined eyes. “I just don’t know why. What does she see in me? Why does she keep coming back into my life? Why does she want to keep me captivated by her when I can’t have her?” His head went back down and fresh tears slipped out of his eyes as he buried his face in his hands.

“I can’t answer those questions, Shu. I’ve not talked to Ran since my birthday. She obviously thinks you’re someone. Have you called her?” Ulquiorra sighed. He felt helpless. His heart was also hurting for the man, knowing kinda what he was going through.

Shuhei took a deep breath and raised his head. “No. No, she told me she wanted distance; that I scared her. She said she believed what Momo and Kira told her about me.” He wiped his face again and sighed. “I just want her to know what she’s doing to me.”

His blubbering face stilled, and he looked at Ulquiorra. “Will you help me?”

Ulquiorra looked at the man and nodded. “If you want to go visit her, I’ll give Veggs some excuse or something. Or did you have something else in mind?”

He shook his head. “Do you know the song _Stitches_?”

“Yeah, good song--Oh...”


	37. Chapter 37

Rangiku was nervous. She paced the floor of her small dressing room in a red dress. Yeah, she knew she was trying too hard. Red nails. Red dress. She wanted him to notice her. She had already told Shinji that she was picking Shuhei to interview first. She had her own list of questions to ask. Jugo’s questionnaire about Nel could take a flying fucking leap in the Pacific. 

It was so stupid of her to send that box to him. 

He hadn’t even said thank you. He probably took one look at it and threw it away. Oh well. She deserved it. She treated people like crap and expected them to kiss her ass.

She realized this as she told Ulquiorra to be safe on his birthday. She decided to stop depending on the green-eyed rockstar for advice. He was horrible at it anyway.

Rangiku heard the knock on the door and took one last look at herself. She tried looking at natural as possible for this episode. She smiled at her reflection, not feeling the confidence her image showed and walked out of the room and towards the table.

The Rumor Mill’s set had changed since it’s conception. Jugo had decided with the new time that they should do a new set up. There was a small oval table with three chairs sitting in the middle of the stage. The LCD screen behind the furniture was huge and showed a photo of Los Angeles at night. 

Rose came over to her. “Wait a minute. You’ve got a snafu with your hair--” he fussed over her. “Why didn’t you do a darker eye?”

“Didn’t feel like it. Do I look okay?”

“You look ravishing. If I didn’t know you, I’d say the only makeup you’re wearing is mascara and lipgloss.”

“Thanks Rose. Shinji? Are you ready?”

The man in question came out in his customary oxford shirt and trousers. “Miss me?” he said with a smile, sticking his tongue out at Rangiku.

“With every shot I take,” she replied and rolled her eyes. “C’mon. Let’s do this.”

So the cameras started rolling and she started every show out like all the others.

"Hi everyone, and welcome to The Rumor Mill. I'm your host, Rangiku Matsumoto, with my lovely co-host, Shinji Hirako! Today we have two guests with us. We have Mashiro Kuna in the studio and Shuhei Hisagi."

"Yay," Shinji said.

"Mashiro is a makeup maven who launched her own product line but has been having trouble with customer reviews and product. We're going to ask her about it and see what the scoop is on that."

"I can't wait. I actually tried the eyeliner. It's dry."

"I like my trusty Smashbox eyeliner. I'm scared to branch out to other brands," Rangiku said. She smiled at the camera. "Shuhei Hisagi is the brand new artist signed by Soul Society Music Group, and we'll be talking with him about his album and what life is like being around Vega Highwell."

“So, who’s up on the chopping block first?”

Rangiku took a moment to think about it. She could totally do the dumb, lime green-haired woman first, but she didn’t feel like getting her brain cells sucked out of her head. Plus, it was cheap. “We will go with Hisagi today. Yeah. He’s up first.” 

Someone offstage ushered Shuhei forward. He’d been sitting back there bouncing his leg and trying not to throw up. 

So when he walked out toward Rangiku, wearing overpriced shredded jeans, a silk T-shirt, and a designer hoodie, he initially avoided eye contact. It wasn’t until he got his butt in the guest chair closest to her and took a deep breath that he looked up at her with a small smile and said, “Hey, Ran.”

It was several seconds before she responded, her face breaking out into a genuine smile. He was the same old Shuhei. “Hello Shuhei. How’s it going? Did you have a good Christmas?” she asked.

“I had a wonderful Christmas. Not perfect, of course, but really great. You?”

She nodded. This Christmas had been a miserable day. There was no phone call from her parents. There were no gifts to open at Gin’s or luscious feasts. No, Rangiku had stayed in her apartment and read the book she was currently engrossed in, scoffing at the dumb main character and the overly flawed love interest. “It was okay. The cat and I opened our presents… Of course she got me a hairball, but uh, it was okay. So, you’ve been on tour with Vega Highwell. How is that going?”

He smiled at her as Hanataro coached him to do, but his eyes were genuine. “Well, you know. Life on the road is exhausting. Vega and her tour director packed the schedule, and we run like a traveling circus: set up, show, strike and move on. We hung out in Austin for a bit for her husband’s birthday, but other than that it’s go go go,” he explained with a chuckle. “It’s a nice bus, though.”

Rangiku looked at Shinji, who touched something on the tablet in front of him, and the Instagram photo that Shuhei had posted to Instagram appeared. “Really? You guys looked like you were having some downtime in Chicago,” she said, her tone light. “Did you have fun in the Windy City?”

He chuckled. “Not really, it was super cold. That picture was taken at the airport Hilton. Kurosaki and I decided to leave Vega and her husband alone on the bus that night; we had picked him up at O’Hare and they hadn’t seen each other for a couple months, so…” he trailed off and laughed nervously.

“Awww, that’s a nice gesture. But I bet it was nice to sleep in a hotel bed rather than a tour bus bunk, right?”

“It was nice to stretch out and lie on a surface that didn’t bump up and down all night long,” he answered.

The backdrop switched back to the skyline. Rangiku had to get away from this topic. “You mentioned Vega and her husband being separated for a couple months. What about you? Anyone you missed during that time? Got a special person in your life?”

“Yep.”

The smile on her face almost slipped.

He looked at the camera and waved, smiling before saying, “Hey, Mom, I’m on TV!” He snickered as he sat back up and looked at Rangiku. “I was seeing someone awhile back and I haven’t really been able to find anyone to replace her, not that I’ve really tried,” he said, half of a sad smile pulling on his lips.

That time it did slip. Rangiku swallowed hard and looked at Shuhei. Her heart was beating fast and she had to fight to keep her eyes dry. “Oh, well, it’s nice that you had someone there. Are you two friends? Do you still talk?”

This was bullshit. She knew the answers to these questions.

“Not as much as I’d like,” he replied, not breaking eye contact.

It was dead silent in the studio. Rangiku had to maintain composure. She had to be the perfect host. She wanted to reach out and touch him but didn’t dare move her hands. Shinji had to clear his throat to get her to say something. 

“Um,” Rangiku said. She knew this question wasn’t going to be fair to him. “Anything you’d like to tell her while you’re on television?”

He swallowed. This wasn’t the time to choke. “Yeah. Um, I want to tell her that I know the time isn’t right for us, but she’s still got my attention.” He paused and took a deep breath before blurting out quickly, “Also she should check out my Instagram and/or YouTube at ItsShuhei.” He blushed through his makeup after that and smiled at his hands. He was such a loser.

Rangiku looked at Shuhei and then glanced at the production people standing beyond the lights. She could see Jugo with his arms crossed over his chest. Fuck it. She was going for this. She knew she wouldn’t be able to wait to check it. “Why don’t we check this out, now. Shinji?”

“Yes ma’am.”

It took only seconds for Shuhei’s Instagram profile to pop up behind her. She turned and looked at it, heart still racing. “You know, you’re an attractive guy, Shuhei. Maybe Shinji should take some pointers from you on your workout routine,” she voiced, trying to be funny. The band of tension around her chest was almost unbearable. “Is it a story or a post?”

“It’s a story that links to YouTube; it goes to a song me and my buddy Ulquiorra Cifer recorded on Christmas.”

Shinji had quick fingers. There was a photo of the two men in a studio setting; one that Rangiku knew very well. The image was gone the next instant while YouTube loaded. She could hear her heart beating in her ears and she glanced at Shuhei again. He had recorded a song with Ulquiorra? He was telling her things like the time isn’t right? She had his attention? Maybe he wasn’t talking about her. Maybe he was talking about someone else. After all, she had just been a rebound.

The video loaded and she saw Shu on the screen. Rangiku was not prepared for what she heard. Her heart wasn’t prepared for it. This wasn’t Ulquiorra singing to Orihime. This was him lending his harmony to Shuhei’s voice, matching him perfectly. If Vega and Obscuras sounded perfect, and Vega and Shuhei sounded magical, then Obscuras and Shuhei were something else. Although the camera had been focused on both of the men, Shuhei playing the guitar while Ulquiorra played a keyboard, Rangiku only had eyes for Shuhei.

As soon as the first verse was done she turned and stared at the dark-haired man. 

He looked back at her, eyes smoldering with sincerity, but his face otherwise blank. This was not their moment, but he wanted her to know how he felt. He needed her to know.

She stayed like that, listening to the song, and when it was over, Rangiku clapped. “That was amazing. Whomever this special lady is in your life, she is lucky. When do you go back out on the road?”

“January fifth, I think.” He chuckled. “I don’t know, I just work here.”

She laughed at that. “Well, how are you finding fame? You were a baker before coming out here, right?”

“Yeah that’s right. I played South by Southwest with Vega a couple years ago and we did some YouTube vids then. It doesn’t seem that different, to be honest. My album was announced and then we went out on tour and it’s been work work work since then. I only had that one sighting in Illinois. The shows are amazing, though. Vega’s fanbase is so great and supportive. I really appreciate it.”

“So, uh, since this is called The Rumor Mill, um want to address the biggest one?” Shinji asked. “Was anything Nelliel Tu whatever said true?”

“Maybe point zero zero zero zero one percent of it. Most of it was lies, which should surprise no one, really.

“She’s been known to lie before,” Rangiku stated. “You mentioned your mom; do you miss her? Has she visited you yet while you’ve been in Los Angeles?”

“So much,” he said, a wide, boyish grin on his face. “She’s a busy lady, though, and hasn’t gotten out here yet.”

“Oh, speaking of people in Ohio, want to clear up what happened with your ex?” the co-host chimed in.

Rangiku glared at Shinji, who gave her a questioning look.

“Sure. What do you want to know?“ The voice was slightly aggressive. Very slightly.

“What was life with Momo Hinamori like,” the blond man asked.

”Unfulfilling,” he answered with an unimpressed expression. “But I don’t want to drag my ex. I’m sure she’d make a very lovely girlfriend to someone else.”

“Well that’s a shame—”

“Shinji! We have to respect that,” Rangiku stated. Out of the corner of her eye, Jugo was telling her to wrap it up. She didn’t want to. She wanted to keep talking to Shuhei. “Well this has been an enlightening segment. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to speak with us, Mister Hisagi.” She wanted to tell him to stick around so that she could talk to him when she was completely free.

There was another chair in the studio. “Want me to stick around for Mashiro?”

“If you want, I hear she’s a diva,” Rangiku said with a laugh.

“Wow, you’re really selling it,” he said with a chuckle.

Shinji spoke, “Actually we’re not interviewing her. She left when you had Shuhei come out first, so it looks like we’re done, Ran.”

“What? Are you serious? Ugh,” she groaned. Rangiku stopped her complaining. Maybe this was a good thing. 

“Go ahead and go, Ran,” Jugo said, coming up on the stage. “We’ll cut in something else or put in videos of Mister Hisagi. I’ll see you next week.”

Shuhei was confused. “What’s going on?”

“Mashiro left. I only have two guests lined up per show. If she left because I interviewed you first, then you’re it for this episode,” Rangki told him. “You busy after this?”

“I’m free for a bit. Hanataro is gonna be here soon, but he can wait while we catch up.”

Rangiku nodded. “Well, follow me. I want to take off this makeup.”

He got up and followed her. He did not expect for this to feel so… weird? No. Casual? Maybe closer, but not quite. It felt like she was just inviting him back for a friendly gab session.

The blonde woman held her head up as she walked to her dressing room. She hoped that Shu was following her. She opened the door and then stood back so he could go in first. 

“Don't mind if I do,“ he said awkwardly before going in.

She giggled before entering behind him. As soon as the door shut, Rangiku dropped the smile. Walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close to her. “Shu,” she said.

He froze. “Ran?” He held his breath. He had no idea what to expect from her.

“I’m assuming that I’m the one you talked about,” she said, laying her cheek against his shoulder. “If I’m wrong then this is about to get really weird.”

He blew out about half of the breath he was holding and put one of his hands over hers on his stomach. “You’re not wrong.”

Her mouth trembled at his words. “You want to talk to me more?”

He turned around in her arms and looked down on her with an expression full of mixed emotions. “You didn’t ask me about the music video. That’s why Soul Society sent me here,” he said with a shaky smile.

“Music video? The one you posted on YouTube?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I’m filming an official video for the album. While I’m on break I’m going on shows to promote the single.”

“What song?” She asked, still staring at him. There had been nothing in her questions about a music video.

He swallowed and brought a hand up, moving some hair behind her ear, and watching his fingers do it as he said, “It goes like this,  _ I have died every day waiting for you,” _ he continued humming the melody of _A Thousand Years_ , pulling up one of her hands into his and putting the other on her back, swaying back and forth to the song, until he got too embarrassed and had to stop. “It’s a decent song,” he said when he stopped.

Rangiku was in heaven. Shuhei was dancing with her, and although there was just his humming to accompany their steps, she could imagine the song. She had listened to the album over and over. It was her favorite music. She moved her free hand to the back of his neck and pulled Shuhei down until their mouths met. She wanted to be closer to him, but at the moment this would have to do.

He broke the kiss after a few seconds but let his nose touch hers, eyes closed, and breathing in through his nostrils slowly. “Rangiku, I’m sorry,” he said, so softly, squeezing her hand and pulling her body just a bit closer. “I heard.”

She let out a small laugh that had tears laced through it. “What do you have to be sorry for? I’m the asshole,” Rangiku said, letting her mouth brush his again. “What did you hear?”

“I heard that you were hurting.” He chuckled a bit. “I heard that you had to resort to talking to  _ Ulquiorra _ ,” he added.

“Oh, he’s a terrible person. He really is. Telling me to move on and leave LA. He’s a horrible therapist stand in,” she said with a smile, not bothering to stop the tears that were coming out of her eyes. “I’m sorry, Shu.”

He shook his head and wiped the tears out of her eyes, a tight-lipped smile on his face. “Ran, I told you a long time ago that I knew you were seeing other people. I didn’t know the details, but I knew, and I didn’t think poorly of you for it. I still don’t. I don’t know how you got into this situation.” 

He took a slow breath and found her eyes. “I just know that until you are ready to move onto the next phase of your life, and, uh, complete that chapter, the timing is off for us. I don’t want you to ever think I hate you for your choices. That’s never been what this has been about. I-- I don’t think I’m explaining well. You’re right about Ulquiorra though, he gives terrible advice,” he said, huffing an awkward laugh and trying to dispel the awful feeling he had at telling her what he just said.

“I know the timing isn’t right, my lover. I know. I’m telling Gin it’s over next week. I’m telling him I’m done. I’ve not seen him in weeks. I refused his invitation to help him host a party. I’m not about being that anymore. I want to be your friend. I want to be the one--” She had to stop because her emotions were overwhelming her. 

“Oh, come on, Ran. We need to be friends first, anyway. Ask Ulquiorra about that if you want to ask him about anything. Two years. He waited  _ two years _ to meet Orihime in person. Talk about slow burn,” he said with a chuckle, wrapping his arms over her shoulders and pulling her in for a bear hug.

She cried against his chest for a good minute. When it felt like she could talk, she said, “I hope you’re not going to make me wait that long Otherwise, I’m going to marry my dildo.” Rangiku followed this up with a laugh.

He was half tempted to crack a dirty joke in response, but he didn’t want to. He rubbed her back before stepping away half a step, then looked down at her and said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen, Rangiku. I just want you to know that you do have my attention, and you, uh, have it until further notice.”

The blonde woman’s head nodded. “Okay. Maybe when you get off the tour completely we can go on a date or… something?” Rangiku hated sounding so unsure of herself.

He smiled at her and nodded, curling a finger under her chin. “I’ll mark my calendar. I have to go now, my pocket feels like a Hitachi is in there,” he smirked and pecked her lips. “You’re always welcome to come see a show. I’ll put you on the list,” he said, backing away.

A blush came over her face. “Wait, can… I want a picture with you. It doesn’t have to show our faces, because mine is a fucking mess, but… please?”

“You got it,” he said, sitting down in a makeup chair and pulling her into his lap before pulling his own phone out of his pocket and barking into it, “Three minutes,” before hanging up and pulling up his photo app. “If I filter the fuck out of this, can I put it on Instagram?” he chuckled.

“Maybe,” Rangiku said, kissing him. “Also three minutes is just foreplay to you. You need like twenty for a quickie.” She laughed and kissed him again.

He smirked and shook his head at her. “You have a one-track mind, Matsumoto. Smile for the camera,” he said, taking a picture of them with a respectable amount of cheer on their faces. He looked at it afterward. “Yeah, I can run this through a filter and tag the show and you and then we can let the speculation begin,” he snickered.

Rangiku gave him a sassy smile before she slid off his lap. “Thank you, Shu,” she said.

“For what?” he asked as he stood up and put his phone back into his pocket.

“The song. The answers. The dance. Those kisses.”

“Thanks for listening, Ran.”


	38. Chapter 38

The morning that the Vega Highwell crew was going to leave, Rangiku texted Shuhei.

  * I’m going to miss you bff <3 Be safe and stay away from the rockettes. :P



She liked texting him again and usually she texted him silly things like random thoughts and Kevin Bacon memes that she had found. It was hilarious to her. Still, she wished she could be there to see him off and kiss him.

It was only three months. 

The Instagram post Shuhei uploaded had tongues wagging, and the episode of The Rumor Mill with Shuhei had the highest ratings ever of any of the episodes. It seemed like people were wanting news or a glimpse into the life of Shuhei and Rangiku.

But that was the thing: there was no life of them together.

They had text messages and random phone calls. She was opening up to him more. She asked him all kinds of questions about himself. Even if she knew the answer, she asked him. Sometimes she felt she was annoying him, but Shu always assured her that it wasn’t a bother and he liked speaking to her. 

Still... Rangiku’s feet were on the ground and she was focused on her career and becoming self-sufficient. Being independent meant that she needed to tell Gin it was over; their arrangement was done. She would do it after Shuhei was out of LA. She didn’t want to split her attention between Gin and Shu. The singer deserved all of her attention.

Shuhei still had reservations about the arrangement he had with Rangiku. He knew his feelings for her were genuine, but while she seemed to be ready to jump in with both feet, he was still more comfortable with the distance between them. It wasn’t her fault, it was the situation. Still, it bothered him that she wasn’t more careful. The more he thought about it, the more he worried. Gin was still a fixture in her life--a fixture she chose to ignore, sure--but that didn’t mean he had ignored it.

Before he left town he started getting paranoid while he made his rounds that Soul Society set up for him to promote his single. Every time he saw a flash of silver hair that wasn’t Isane’s, his face snapped to attention. Maybe he _was_ paranoid, but he just couldn’t help but feel that there were going to be consequences for him luring Ichimaru’s best girl-about-town away from him. Guys in general didn’t take kindly to that, no matter how many other girls they were fucking. Guys like Gin Ichimaru took it especially poorly.

Still, he enjoyed the communication with Rangiku and he wasn’t shy about sending her messages and emails. He rarely instigated telephone calls though; he never knew who was with her, and he told her that was the reason he only called if there was an explainable reason. It made him feel kind of shitty though, so he always texted her goodnight.

On the day they were leaving for tour, he asked Orihime, Ulquiorra, and Ichigo to pose in front of the bus, and took a brief video waving and saying “Bye Ran!” He didn’t notice that Ulquiorra had flipped the bird to the camera until  _ after _ he had sent it to her, which earned him a punch to the shoulder. Small payback, Shu thought. He had hoped that the video would be the first step toward mending the friendly rapport that Orihime and Rangiku had once shared. He knew that Orihime didn’t judge the object of his affection as harshly as Rangiku believed. Orihime only wanted to protect her friends, and because she had to choose in that situation between him and Rangiku, she went with the party that she felt was a closer friend and more wronged. She wasn’t perfect.

The worst part of leaving, though, was dealing with Ichigo. Having had nearly two weeks with his baby daughter made him miserable when it came time to leave. Ulquiorra could not stand it. Orihime was more understanding, and spent more and more time with her fellow redhead trying to cheer him up and working on filling out college applications and even doing some classical rehearsals with him, letting him give her piano lessons and accompany her on some classical repertoire during rehearsals and sound checks just to get his juices flowing again. It helped.

Shuhei and Ulquiorra’s maturity started devolving in response, though. They spent a lot of time on the bus playing Madden or whatever else game struck their fancy at the moment. Orihime was not impressed.

“There is too much testosterone on this bus! You guys are stinking up the place with your junk food farts!” she whined close to the middle of January as she walked from the kitchenette to her bunk with Princess on her heels.

“You’re just jealous because you can’t have any. Or you won’t have any. I really don’t think you’re going to get fat if you eat a Cheeto, Heemz,” Shu shouted after her.

“I’m tired of orange fingerprints all over the bus, too. And stop letting Prinny lick them off; then she gets gas and it’s even worse!” she yelled from her bunk.

Ulquiorra chuckled. “I can take her back when I fly back,” he said, looking at the furry animal. Princess just sat down and stared at him. “Princess, you were supposed to be my dog. Donnie was supposed to be Mommy’s, and it’s totally the opposite. King is the odd man out. Veggs, if I get another dog will you kill me?”

A groan. A whine. She was thinking about it. “No,” the defeated voice came through the bus galley.

“Shu, look at this Pom. I want a small yap yap dog that Orihime will carry around.”

“VETO! VETO! VETO!” the disembodied voice called from Orihime's quarters.

Shuhei laughed. “I always wanted, like, a border collie, or aussie, or a golden retriever.” It was a comment, not a wishlist.

Ulquiorra smiled at the man. “You’ve just named off every dog that knows how to open pantry doors and eat all the bread. All. The. Bread.”

“That’s fine. You’re approaching the age where you’re going to reach the first metabolic plateau. You’ll be grateful to lay off the carbs anyway.”

“Tch. I’m not that old!” Ulquiorra said very much offended at that comment. “Are you mentally mature now that you’re over twenty-five?”

“I’m only twenty-six! ”

“One foot in the grave. Can you still achieve an erection?” Ulquiorra said with a smirk. “Do you need some ED meds?”

“Dude, just be glad your wife turned me down. She wouldn’t have been able to go back. That’s all I’m saying.”

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. “Whatever Hisagi,” he said. “I’m surprised Ran walks right.”

“So you acknowledge my superiority. That makes this conversation a lot shorter. Oh, sorry, no offense.”

“I couldn’t compete with whatever you’ve got between your legs, but I do know I can fuck all night. I’ve proven that. You older folks last what? Thirty minutes at most?” Ulquiorra laughed. “Ichigo, how long can Grimm last?”

“I dunno,” Ichigo said. “I never knew about it until after the fact,” he said, referring to the blue-haired man’s encounters with Hailey instead of himself.

With a shake of his head, Ulquiorra turned back to Shu. “You play kissy face with her yet?”

“Ran? No. I mean not since the interview. Why do you ask?” Shu said, looking at the other man from the corner of his eye.

“I’m curious. You seem in much better spirits since you went on the show.” Ulquiorra shrugged. “Maybe you could invite Ran to a show, and maybe Hailey could come for a weekend with Lore and keep Orihime company.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t want to have to spend time with your own wife or anything,” Ichigo scoffed. “If Hailey comes here she won’t be spending time with Orihime. You’ll be on baby duty and I’ll be fucking her brains out,” Ichigo nearly growled. He was still getting over being separated from his family.

“Ivan, come on man. You can fly her and the baby out any time. No one says you can’t.”

Ichigo slammed the score he was looking at down on his lap and looked at Ulquiorra sharply. “No? No one says? Fucking Grimmjow says!” He put on a bitchy, higher pitched voice that sounded nothing like the blue-haired man but which meant to mimic him anyway, “It’s not safe for the baby to travel until she’s had more immunizations! Airplanes are germ incubators! Get a fleshlight!” Ichigo scoffed and picked his score back up.

Ulquiorra looked at Ichigo, then at Shuhei, raising an eyebrow. “What if I drove them out? Or… watched Lore while Hailey flew out? But seriously? Grimmjow bitches because you want to see them?”

Ichigo sighed and set his papers down calmly this time. “Yeah. I mean, he’s just looking out for everyone, and I get it, but he’s pissed at me that I’m gone. I can tell. It’s not my fault, though. When I first agreed to the tour, the dates weren’t set yet and it was only going to be for three months, not six.”

“At least you got laid during break. Shu had to play handsy with himself,” Ulquiorra said. 

Shuhei shrugged. “It’s fine. I mean, sometimes it bothers me, but not that much,” he said, blowing it off. Anyway, Ichigo do you want to play? I’m gonna go make a call.”

Ichigo nodded and took the spot Shuhei deserted and kept quiet until the other man was out of hearing range, then whispered to Ulquiorra, “He’s gonna go rub one out right now, isn’t he?”

Ulquiorra looked at Ichigo and then the direction Shuhei disappeared. “Probably. I bet if we used a blacklight on his bunk, we’d find all sorts of stuff.” He laughed and bumped the other man’s shoulder. “Square up dude, because I’m going to beat your ass.”

***

Once Shuhei was in his bunk, he called her.

“Hello, Shu,” Rangiku purred into the phone.

“Hey gurl,” he growled.

She giggled. “You never call. Something up?”

“Yeah, my dick, thanks to the yahoos in the bus. Just kidding. How are you doing?” he asked, rolling his eyes at himself.

“Eh, besides missing you, not much. Ash is bitching because I won’t give her any of this chicken I made,” Rangiku said with a smile.

“Oh yeah? Since when do you cook?” he asked with a smile. He liked the image of her in an apron. Preferably with nothing on underneath.

“It’s not hard to throw a chicken breast in the oven,” she replied. “Do you want some help with your problem? I could you know, send you some naughty selfies. Maybe show my ankles?”

“You are simply scandalous, Miss Matsumoto,” he teased. “I’m not going to say no to pics, though. But seriously, my ex would have starved if I didn’t cook, so knowing how to cook anything that doesn’t come from a box that says Betty Crocker on it is a step in the right direction.”

Rangiku rolled her eyes. “Yeah your ex didn’t strike me as Susie Homemaker type material. I mean, I’m not, but at least I can keep my place clean and cook stuff. Though, I do like going out to eat. I’m a glutton at times. Nutella and wheat toast is my preferred meal, though.”

“Ew. Not a hazelnut fan, unless it’s that fake coffee flavor. That I like. Because I’m super duper sophisticated, you know,” he said with a chuckle. “If you like sweet nuts, though I… Nevermind. Sorry. Those guys have no filter and have my mind in the gutter.”

A bashful smile came over her face although he couldn’t see it. She did have a one track mind at times, but she was teasing, mostly. She stood up and stepped away from her desk, walking over to her mirror and snapped a selfie. She was wearing the Tremors t-shirt he bought her and Hello Kitty booty shorts. Yep. She sent him that photo. “It’s fine, Shu, but you did decline my advances. We could have destroyed my dressing room.”

He hissed. “Yeah, I know. We destroyed a studio couch before and Ulq never lets me forget it,” he said with a low chuckle. The picture buzzed through then and he had a look at it. “Nice t-shirt. I bet it would look even better on my floor when I get back.” He didn’t even apologize as he shook his head at himself and blushed. He knew he was a helpless dork.

“Oooh, am I gonna get the Hisagi bed treatment? Does your bed have a headboard? We could make it slam into the wall,” she said. While standing in front of the mirror, she pulled the shirt up until it exposed half of her tits and then pulled the shorts down until they exposed the side of the lace undies she was wearing. “Have another one, Lover.”

He chuckled and then hummed when he saw the pic. “Yeah, we could bang some headboards, but that would summon the competitive spirit of the persistently horny couple downstairs and then we’d have to listen to it in stereo… I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the worst porn ever,” he said with a laugh. “Actually, I haven’t told anyone yet, but I am thinking about looking for my own place once we get back from tour.”

Rangiku smiled. She was content right now, so she didn’t even bother to censor herself. “Then quietly make love to me and whisper in my ear how good I make you feel?” She bit her lip. That was probably not the thing to say to him. “Your own place is good. You’re a big star so you need privacy.”

He chuckled, deciding to let her comment about love-making go, even though it made him blush and smile. When he spoke, though, his voice was warm, quiet and intimate. “I’m not a big star. I just don’t want mom and dad walking in on us when… You know.”

“You’re my big star. You’re my somebody. Remember I’m cheering for you,” Rangiku said. She shimmied her shorts down her thighs, letting them drop to the carpet and turned around, taking a photo of her ass that was bisected by lace. Then she moved the phone from her head and took the t-shirt off. “I wouldn’t want them to walk in either. Plus… the dogs. I don’t like animals staring at me and that would be awkward to see one of their dogs staring as I’m riding your dick.”

“Lady, that’s why there are doors. Most dogs haven’t figured those out yet. And fair warning, as soon as I get my own place there are going to be dogs in it, even if I have to steal King for myself. I might,” he said with a small laugh. 

She snorted as she turned around and took a picture of her naked chest and underwear combo. “Mmmm, I don’t mind that one… It’s the biggest one. I don’t think Princess likes me. Orihime had to put her up constantly whenever I came over before… you know… Where are you thinking of getting a place? Gonna stay in Malibu? Live in Beverly Hills? Calabasas?”

“I haven’t thought that far yet. And don’t feel bad about Prinny. She’s here with us on the bus because she’s so attached to Orihime. That’s the reason she gets weird with people sometimes; she has been overprotective of her ever since she was attacked. That’s what Ulq said, anyway.”

“Makes sense. Ash kinda does the same thing,” Rangiku said as she walked back to her bedroom and sat down on the bed. “You have some seflies coming your way. You might enjoy them, sir. But can I be honest for a moment?”

“Shoot.”

“I miss you. I want you to fuck me. I’m contemplating showing up at your show and dragging you to a hotel so I can have that,” she said rapidly.

He was silent for a moment and then chuckled gently. “As tempting as that is, maybe the best things come to those who wait? I dunno. I might just be talking out of my ass right now. Because I will tell you now, Ran, these pics? They are going to last me about two minutes.” He bit his lip and smiled. She was talking about doing stuff with him so he wasn’t worried about offending her, but it was still a bit embarrassing to admit.

“You wouldn’t believe how much I wanted you to take me in that dressing room. Even thinking about you right now and your cock makes me hot, Shu. I just want you. I want to be filled by you,” Rangiku purred. She liked how she could rile him up like this.

“Rangiku,” he said, his voice warning her. “You are ruining a perfectly innocent and romantic memory with your tawdry, but welcomed, dirty talk.” He laughed then. “You gotta admit, that was some heartfelt shit. I was pretty proud.”

“I enjoyed it very much,” Rangiku said. She lay back on her bed and slipped off the underwear she wore. “Don’t tell me you don’t like it. I know you do or else you’d put a stop to my bullshit real fast. Besides, my  _ kitty _ needs treats.”

He sighed. He had tried to stick to the boundaries he had set. He tried very hard, but she kept tempting him. “Oh? What does your  _ kitty _ want me to treat it with? My mouth? My dick? Something more exotic?”

A smirk came over her face. Rangiku spread her legs and quickly took a photograph of the area there. “I don’t know, you tell me,” she said innocently.

A deep, long growl answered her, and he almost sounded like a different person when he said, “I think she needs to get fucked over a table.”

The woman let out a squeak. “Well, I already ruined Ulq’s couch. Might as well ruin his table too,” she said after a moment. “I still wonder how good it would feel to be naked against you. Imagining your cock sliding into me--hnnngh.”

That sobered him up a bit. “Yeah, it would feel awesome, I’m sure,” he whispered, not wanting to ruin her horny buzz, but a bit taken out of the mood himself. Yeah, he was sure it would feel awesome, and he hated thinking about it, but lord knows what she could be carrying. Gin fucked a lot of women.

“It won’t come to that, don’t worry. Sex is messy enough with protection. Are the pics good for you?” Rangiku asked. There was a slight shift to his voice and she could probably pinpoint the problem. Oh well.

He heard her voice shift and felt like a jerk. “The pics will last me for days. And never say never, Ran. I think I once told you what I wanted to do to you,” he said, trying to rally her spirit. 

“Refresh my memory?”

His voice was low and rumbly, and he brought the phone close to his mouth, breathing over the receiver a few times before answering, “I want to wreck you.”

“Oh,” Rangiku said. Yes, she remembered those words rather well. A pulse of heat went through her. Hearing his voice and his breathing… God. “The answer is still yes. Please. Do it.”

He couldn’t take it. His dick was throbbing and he could only think about emptying himself into her. “We’re coming through San Francisco next Friday. Think you can make the drive?”

“Maybe,” she murmured, squeezing her legs together. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s only a couple of weeks until you’re done with this.”

“Isn’t there some kind of cliché about what happens on tour stays on tour? I think I heard something like that once,” he said, his hips starting to move into his hand a bit.

“Do you think the biggest gossiper is going to be able to keep quiet about it?” she teased. God she wanted to tell him, yes she would be there, but as much as Rangiku wanted him, she thought it would be better to wait until he was more available to see her.

He didn’t answer her. He kept slowly thrusting into his hand, whispering her name. “It’s up to you,” he whispered after about twenty seconds of this. “I’m imagining that I’m with you right now.”

She whimpered. “Shu, you’re teasing me. I wanna see it.” 

There was no hesitation. He flicked on his bed lamp and switched to Facetime, popping in some earbuds as he did, then pulled his sweatpants down, aiming the phone’s camera directly at his dick.

“Hi Baby,” Rangiku said, cupping one of her tits and playing with the nipple. “Mmmm that looks fun.”

He didn’t say anything. He just kept his pace up. He wasn’t shy about it either, letting her have a good look at the precum beading on the tip and breathing just hard enough to let it get picked up by the phone. “Touch yourself, Ran,” he commanded in a whisper, not even watching to see if she obeyed.

Rangiku was like ten steps ahead of him on that. “I already am, and it feels good,” she replied. It didn’t take much for her to switch cameras to show him what she was doing, sliding her fingers in and out of her body. She kept her eyes on what he was showing her. “I want to blow you again.”

“Same, baby girl, but now I want you to imagine me rawing you. I’m going to show you how much I’ll fill you up. I’ll pump you so full that it’ll be pouring down your legs when I’m done,” he said, the whispers rough and wet.

Another whimper and then a whine. God, she was already wet. All she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and think about it. It was a nice fantasy to have. A very, very nice fantasy. Her cries and noises got louder the more she thought about being with him and letting him do intimate things like that to her. “Shu--ooooh, god.”

“Yeah, baby, ride it out. Let your tight little pussy suck down on my cock. It’s gonna make me come, baby girl. Good, keep going,” he whispered his encouragement as he felt the stirring in base of his cock that signaled the end in sight.

Her legs were shaking but Rangiku did as he said and kept it up, fingers bent, rubbing against that spot inside of her, palm rubbing against her clit. She could feel pulses and the wetness grow between her legs. “Mmmmm,” she hummed. “Shuhei, you feel so good.”

“Watch, Ran. Watch what I’m going to fuck you with,” his whispers were urgent, and he tried his best to aim away from his phone as the first hot, white jet of come shot through him and somewhere into the distance. He didn’t even care how much he had to clean up later.

She watched. Oh boy, did she watch. She moaned when trying to keep her eyes open against the waves of pleasures overtaking her while seeing him come. Fuck it was hot. Fuck she wanted it. Rangiku had to pull her hand away from herself, as her orgasm became too much to deal with. She switched the camera, looking into it, breathing hard. “You done?” she asked when she could form words. 

Almost. He would have said it if he could, but instead he brought the phone up to his face, showing her how his mouth hung open and his breath pushed his lips back and forth slightly as he rode out the last waves of pleasure, his cheeks stained red and his eyes dark and glassy. “Rangiku,” he breathed as it died down, then just stared at her as he began to calm down.

“Shuhei?” He looked absolutely wrecked. 

His brain was on unfiltered mode. “Get your house in order. When I am done with this tour I expect you to be ready for me. You won’t be going anywhere until I’m satisfied. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she said. God, that funny feeling in her chest was all she wanted to feel at the moment. “Yes, Shu. I want that.”

“Good,” he replied, still breathless and panting softly, and looking at her like he could see nothing else in the universe. “Also, you might want to start getting used to the idea that I’m going to be the only one doing that to you. Shuhei Hisagi doesn’t like to share his woman.”

If he was being honest, she could too. “I don’t want anyone else, Baby. I’m yours. After tonight I’m all yours,” Rangiku said.

“Good girl,” he said, his eyes closed and his tongue came out to wet his drying lips and he swallowed as his brain function slowly returned to him. “Shit. I have a mess to clean up,” he said in a low, quiet voice before a giddy, boyish grin cracked his face and he laughed silently.

She smirked at him. “You always make messes,” Rangiku said, glad that he was happy and not freaking out over her words. “Are you satisfied for tonight Mister Hisagi? Because I’m sticky and wet and probably need to change my sheets.”

“And you call me messy. Yeah. I’m… uh, spent,” he said, his voice beginning to return.

“Good, glad I was able to help. Call me tomorrow if you can?”

“Mmhmm. Oh, and Ran?”

“Yes?” she asked as she sat up.

“I hope you liked the song I sang for you. I miss you.” He hadn’t asked her about it up until then, even though it had been weeks since he was on her show. He was feeling a bit exposed and emo at the moment though, so he asked.

“I love it Shuhei. I love everything you sing for me. The Backstreet Boys, Stitches… I even think of some of the songs from your album you sing to me,” she said. “I miss you too. I’ll see you in San Francisco.”


	39. Chapter 39

Ulquiorra looked at the book in his hands. They were sweaty and his heart was thumping. What the fuck did Nel think when she was writing this? Why the fuck would she write this? She sent him a copy personally, signing the inside page with: 

\- Love you Ulqui! 

<3 Nel

A heart. Love you. Ulqui. Every fucking thing he hated about the woman she put on the front page.

He told Orihime that he would FaceTime her when he got a copy of the book. He had expected to buy it, not have some schmuck deliver it to his gate. Speaking of the gate, he really needed to build a thing like a bank drive-thru so that he didn’t have to trek outside and up the driveway.

So he called his wife, holding the book up in front of the camera. 

“Hello my love—- Is that what I think it is?” Her lips curled.

“I am holding a steaming pile of horseshit in my hand,” he said, dropping the book and looking at Orihime. “Hello, Woman.”

Orihime sighed. “You bought it already?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “It was delivered to me. Nel signed this.”

“Ewww. I hope you have hand sanitizer. Did you read much yet?”

He shrugged. “The first five pages. It really sounds like it was written by a hard up fangirl.”

“Well, if the shoe fits. Is any of it accurate? She said it’s, quote/end quote, fiction.”

“I’d have to dig deeper into it. The first five pages is just how much Bell is in love with Quinn.”

“Oh god, for real? I can’t wait to find out what my pseudonym is.”

Ulquiorra flipped the cover over and started reading. “Meet Bell, the funny and sweet girl from next door who is best friends with Quinn. She’s been his best friend forever. While she and Quinn start having feelings for each other, Ina comes into the picture. Ina compliments and manipulates Quinn who ultimately drops Bell. Try as she might, Bell can’t seem to get her best friend from the clutches of the red headed Ina. In a tale of jealousy, rage and lies, who will Quinn pick?”

Gag. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes.

“Ina? For real? Oh lord. I'm going to have Isane go get me a copy. This should be hilarious,” Orihime said.

“We can have a read along. You know, like a book club for bad books. This can be a tour bus thing. Buy everyone a fucking copy and have them read it,” Ulquiorra stated. “There is one good piece of news out of all of this. My dad told me when he dropped fat boy off.”

“What’s that?” She asked. “Also totally doing bad book club.”

“Nel’s early release has been revoked. Her mom called him crying about it. She said I set Nel up to look crazy on national television,” he told his wife. “Nel also assaulted a guard. She had more time added to her sentence.”

Orihime’s eyes widened and she let out a low whistle. “If she really believes that, then the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Nel has gotten worse, not better, from my perspective.”

Ulquiorra nodded. It had been steadily worse the longer he was with Orihime. “Well, it gets worse, too. Nanao doesn’t know how Nel got our address, but she told me that she’s thrown away probably a hundred letters from Nel. Crazy fanmail shit. She also sent it to Espada over the years since I signed with them. She’s pissed off, which being my manager… She has every right to be mad, but it’s nothing new that I make her mad.”

Orihime sighed. “I think what you interpret as mad is actually her worrying about you. Nel is a scary person. I’m glad she’s not getting out. I’d consider leaving the country if she did.”

“Maybe we need to relocate to Laguna Beach for a bi, just to make sure everyone is safe. The only problem is that there’s no yard there and my mom won’t let the dogs inside it.”

“Hmmm, well, I’m on the road for awhile. Could you stay with your parents? Or could you have Nan stay with you? Maybe Kisuke…”

“Hailey and Grimm? I mean I know staying with them means I’d hear all about their lives, but at this point… They have a yard. I’m having a security firm come out tomorrow and look at the fences,” Ulquiorra said. He sighed and pressed a hand against his cheek. “How are things in Casa de Tour Bus?”

“Same as always except Ichigo’s mood has improved marginally. He’s been getting back into a serious practice routine and it helps. How’s my chunky baby boy doing?”

Ulquiorra looked at King who was laying on his bed near the fireplace. He had to come home from his vacation with Orihime to take care of the dog. “His paw is fine. The vet says that he needs help to support it when he goes outside and to be gentle around him. I tried to tell the guy that King weighs a hundred and twenty pounds. He’s a tank. He stomps on people. Being gentle is… is… He needs to be gentle around us.”

“I know. Did they give you enough vet tape? I still have a couple purple rolls left from when Prin cut her leg. It’s in the laundry room.”

“I’ll get it. He gave me a roll of it. Then they were like, "Where’s Princess? She’s due for a check up," and I told them you had her, and all I heard was she needs exercise; she’s too big. She’s a fucking malamute. She’s gonna be big. She probably wasn’t meant to be as big as she is… but she’s healthy, right?”

“Let me check,” Orihime said, making kissy noises to the dog, who came prancing over. Orihime ran her hand over the dog’s body from her neck down to her hips. She should have been able to feel her ribs through the fur, and she could, but they weren’t clearly defined. “Yeah, she needs to lose a bit of weight, too,” she said.

“Prinny! Prinny!” Ulquiorra said in a high pitched voice, making the dog whine and prance around some more. “If Shu and Ivan would quit giving her junk, she wouldn’t be meaty. The vet wants us to eliminate snacks and treats for King.”

“They’re not puppies anymore. They’re lazier. It makes sense.”

Ulquiorra propped the phone up on a vase on the coffee table and then held up Donnie, who looked like he was used to the whole thing. “But Mommy, could you say no to this face?” the man said.

Shuhei walked passed Orihime at that moment and stopped, staring at the woman and raising a brow. After a moment he shook his head and walked away, muttering, “You guys have the most fucking weird relationship…”

Orihime rolled her eyes as he left. “Somebody has to say no, and if Daddy won’t, Mommy will,” she said, increasing her volume as Shu walked away in an attempt to make him uncomfortable.

“We have a weird relationship? This is coming from the guy who fucks his girlfriend via FaceTime?”

“Ahem. A point of order, Mr. Cifer, we used to fuck via FaceTime.”

“No, we used to fuck the good old fashioned way -by phone- not watching... Okay there were a couple times, but he could totally fly her out and have his way with her,” Ulquiorra said, putting Adonis back into his lap and picking the phone up. “Our relationship isn’t weird. We’re secure in it.”

Orihime smiled at him. “Better everyday. I love you.”

“I love you. I’m going to go burn this book and then make myself food, Mrs. Cifer. Are we still on for Valentine’s day?”

“You mean you’re already scrapping bad book club? Awww!” she joked. “We are definitely on for Valentine’s day. Can I expect my traditional three dozen roses?” she laughed.

Ulquiorra made a mental note of what she wanted and shrugged. “Maybe, seems like such a hassle to have on the tour bus. How about a bottle of wine?”

“You could just send them to Renji. He thought they were “festive”," she said, referencing the time when she worked with the scarlet haired barista at Ulquiorra's dad's coffee shop, Occhi Verde. It was during their breakup when Ulquiorra had first gone to LA and Orihime was still stuck in Ohio. It felt like a million years ago, now. "I will take fine wine, but I don’t have my Christmas straw. Damn.”

“I’ll put it in my suitcase. No more tours unless I’m with you. This totally sucks, but I can come and see you whenever I want, when the dog isn’t hurting himself.”

“Agreed. We may have to have an entire bus just for the dogs, though. Either that or no more sharing a bus with friends. Just us and the pups.”

This made the man smile. “We might be able to arrange that.”

***

Rangiku looked at her boss, her face screaming that she was unhappy. “What do you mean I have to be at Pelican Bay State Prison on Friday to interview Mayuri Kurotsuchi on Saturday morning? I have plans for Friday! You could have told me this last week, Jugo!”

“Excuse me? I didn’t get the clearance for it until yesterday. We have the chance to interview the infamous Mayuri. Do it,” Jugo said.

Sigh. She walked into her dressing room and sat down, pouting. She didn’t want to interview Mayuri. She was fine with making celebrities mad enough they walked off her set. Like today she was interviewing the new face of ObscurasIV, Shaz Domino. She would make him mad enough to spit nails. Not to mention that Yachiru kid was gonna be on and she seemed like a ball of fun.

What she was facing though, wasn’t a ball of fun. She had to tell Shuhei. Should she call? Should she text? 

  * You busy?



The reply was immediate.

  * Not for you. What’s up?



Rangiku tapped on his name and then the audio call. She waited for him to pick up, which he did on the beginning of the second ring.

“Hello, beautiful. What’s up with you?”

“Hey you. Work. Um, I know I said I would see you on Friday but, Jugo just ordered me to go up north to Pelican Bay state prison. I’m to interview Mayuri on Saturday.” Rangiku put the pad of her thumb in her mouth and waited for his reaction.

He said nothing at first, looking up the location of the prison on his phone’s map. “Well, apparently that’s right next to Fort Dick. Probably not the Fort Dick you were looking for, but…” He trailed off, letting a bit of the forced levity in his voice drop. “I’m disappointed that I won’t get to see you but you have to do what you have to do. Your show is doing really well and if another bizarre prison interview is what you need to do to keep it successful, I’m behind you. I just wish you didn’t have to interview these weirdos, it makes me worry.”

“Shuhei, you’re so sweet,” she said with a smile. “But yeah, not the Fort Dick I was expecting to spend my weekend with. I’m going to have guards in the room. I’m not going to dress provocatively. Just business casual, like I did with Crazy Eyes.” Rangiku sighed. “I miss you. What’s your next city after San Fran?”

“Um, Portland, then Seattle, then Boise and Salt Lake City, I don’t remember after that.”

“Well, whenever I can, I’ll come to a show. I’ll be your biggest fan in the front row with one of those huge foam fingers.”

“Hahaha, no no no, my girl gets backstage VIP access. You can still totally wear the foam finger, though,” he said with a smile.

She tried not to get giddy at the fact that he called her his girl. She was so lame. “I totally expect a green room tryst then, foam finger and all.”

“Kinky,” he said.

“Ha! You have no idea. Ever been to a proctologist?”

“Dear god. Who are you? What have you done with my sweet, innocent little… Oh yeah. I think I’m confusing you for Princess. I’m down with anal probes,” he said with a laugh.

A peal of giggles answered him. “Hmmm, nope. I’m a giver not a taker when it comes to that,” she laughed.

“All the better, just none of your size queen toys, okay?” he said in a low, purring voice. He was talking big, he wasn’t really into that kind of thing, but he was pretty open-minded.

Another round of laughs. “Dude, I wasn’t a size queen until I had you. I had to make due with tiny dicks from guys who didn’t know how to use them,” Rangiku said. “And my toys aren’t even that big. I still want to do a mold of your dick. Clone a willy or something.”

“Why is everyone so impressed with my schlong? I watch porn. It’s not that great. But if you want to save my youth for posterity, who am I to stand in the way of conservation?”

“You got it wrong, Baby. I’m going to make this mold and then sell the design to some sex toy company and everyone woman in the world will fall--Wait this is a horrible plan. I’m the only one falling in love with you.”

“Nuh uh. Nuh-uh-uh. If you’re gonna pimp me out I get a cut,” he said, smiling at the falling in love comment. He blushed and didn’t know what to say.

She noted the silence on his end. Rangiku gave a chuckle. “Um, so, uh, yeah,” she said, and then sighed. “I miss you, Shu.”

A very long, very long-suffering sigh answered her. “You and me both, baby girl. I’ll call you tonight before bed. No shenanigans, though, I have an early morning radio thing. And last time I had to buy a new toothbrush because I used Ivan’s to clean up the mess out of the trim on the bus wall.”

“I am totally innocent in this. I don’t like your accusations,” she said with mock offense. “He’s mad. Ivan’s mad because he can’t get laid or whatever. Babies make you crazy.”

“You make me crazy, Ran.”

Her cheeks heated up and this wide, cheesy grin came over her face. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“You’ll find out eventually.” He sighed again. “Dang it, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you tonight!”

She told him bye and the call ended. Rangiku did her interview with Shaz Domino. She made him mad enough that he did walk out of the studio. It was the only thing she could do for Ulquiorra. She made Espada Records look bad for hiring a diva to front a successful band where the former singer had been closed off and never had any public tantrums.

She talked to Shu that night, teasing him with photos of herself half dressed or other naughty images. 

The rest of the week flew by and she found herself landing in some rinky dink airport. The hotel was tiny too. Their towels felt rough and she called Jugo complaining.

“This is the life of a journalist. You want to become legit, stop bitching at every inconvenience.”

_Whatever, asshole._

Saturday morning arrived and Rangiku walked into the prison. It was a huge facility. She was directed and shuttled to a different building than the reception area. There were clangs and buzzers that sounded off. There were yelling and echoes. This frightened Rangiku. She wanted someone in her ear telling her everything was going to be okay. 

Surprisingly, Mayuri looked normal. He didn’t have that weird white face paint on with the black stripes. He had dark, bluish-black hair and light brown eyes. For being as notorious as he was known to be, he looked like a regular guy.

Rangiku gave him a smile and started asking him questions after the cameras were set up. Three hours later she left feeling much better about things than she felt after the Nel interview. Mayuri was strange, but he had attempted murdering his wife because of jealousy. It seemed like a story off that crime channel. It was a premeditated attempt. Mayuri blamed everything on Gin. Gin was the one that started drugging him to do outrageous stuff. Gin was the one who continued to feed him drugs. The orgies, using Nemu has a party trick, the booze, the coke… It all came down to Gin.

It was an hour before her flight left she texted the sugar daddy.

  * We’re done. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m done.



Gin sent her back a message.

_Gin:_ _  
_ _Okay. I’m busy we will discuss this later._

Later? There was no discussion that needed to take place. She was done. D-O-N-E.

At least that’s what she thought.

***

“Hey! How’s my big famous rockstar!?” Shelly Petersen didn’t work on Mondays anymore, and had checked her son’s tour schedule. There was no show that day, so she decided to try giving him a call. 

“I’m not a rockstar, Mom, I sing love songs and pop tunes,” he answered, rolling his eyes and sounding sixteen instead of twenty-six.

“Oh, my little Phil Collins, then. How are you? I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since the call on Christmas!”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ve been busy. The tour is crazy. We’ll be coming through again next month if you want to come.”

“I’m so busy, Shu. We’ll see if I can get off work,” she said as if her job was very important. And it was. Shelly Petersen had always worked hard and took pride in her job. Cutting, coloring, and styling hair might seem frivolous to some, but Shelly thought of herself as someone who helped people, not just someone who groomed people.

“Well, if you would accept some help, you’d be able to--”

“Baby boy, if I am not willing to accept help from Rich, I’m definitely not going to accept it from you. Keep your money.”

“Seriously, Ma. I have so much that I don’t know what to do with it. You’ve done everything for me and it’s the least I can do to--”

“Nuh-uh-uh-uh, Shu. Nope. I won’t hear it. Put it away so your kids can go to college, alright? Speaking of that, are you seeing anyone, or is it all groupies?”

“Ma, c’mon.”

“Don’t “Ma, c’mon” me! Tell me what’s going on with you!”

Shuhei sighed. “Well, remember that girl I was telling you about last summer?”

“Yeah?” Shelly replied, sounding overly interested.

“Well, I’m seeing her again. It’s all long distance now because of the tour, and she’s got an ex who doesn’t seem to get the hint, but I like her.”

“Mmhmm. And that’s not the same girl who interviewed you with the huge bazongas on the E! Network?”

Shuhei blushed. “Mother!”

“I knew it. I saw her here; I was leaving Momo the shrew’s apartment with Noni’s quilt and she was coming in as I was going out. Very pretty. So does she want kids?”

“Mom! I don’t know! I’m hanging up.”

His mother cackled. “I love you, Peanut. Tell Miss Boobs I say hi.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

***

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to mourn for our brain cells because they’re about to die reading this trash,” Ulquiorra muttered as he looked at his wife. He flew out to Reno to see them. He played games with Shu. He played hacky sack with Ivan, the kind with the feet not the one where everyone was naked. He played with Princess. He took Orihime out to eat when they stopped for the night. Waffle House wasn’t gourmet, but he was craving waffles.

Now they were in her bunk with her copy of _One Wild Night_ by Nel Tu O. “What a pretentious bitch. Who the fuck makes their last name an initial?” he grumbled looking up at Orihime.

“People who name their archnemesis “Ina”, apparently,” she said. She had her bunk screen open, as did Ichigo and Shuhei, so it could be a loosely-knit group discussion. “So, did everyone finish the book?” she asked in a school-marmish voice.

“No. I noped out right after Ina met up with Bell--Bell the instrument, not Belle the human name, in case anyone was keeping score--and told her that she had seduced Quinn in Austin only to leave him devastated for the second time. I mean, come on. Ina clearly only was interested in that Ian fellow, anyway,” Ichigo said, trying not to snicker too loudly after he said it, trying to get a rise out of Ulquiorra.

“Why didn’t I take the opportunity to drown you in my pool?” Ulquiorra asked the orange-haired man. “I mean you’ve seen my ass and my naked body and still have the balls to mock me although you looked upon a god.”

“Wait, when was this? Who you showin’ off to?” Orihime asked, eyes darting between the two men.

“Your birthday, Woman? When you flashed my junk around Ivan? Anyway, I read the entire thing and wish I never read it because Sue jumping off the building was unnecessary. Nemu never fucking jumped,” he said. “Shot. Bang. Done.”

“I did not like how she was characterized as a tragic antiheroine. It was unconvincing,” Orihime said blithely.

“I thought the whole thing sucked. Especially the part about Drew the baker and his The Cure obsession and desire to follow Ina around in hopes that she would give him her dirty panties. I mean… I don’t even wear underwear,” Shuhei said, trying to be funny.

Orihime laughed. “That was all well and good, but the end was the real kicker.”

“You mean how Bell and Quinn fell in love and he knocked her up? So he decided to become a baker like his father, Ron, and Ina became a whore. Bullshit. One, I don’t stick my dick in crazy, and two, Ron? Ron?”

“Yes, the frumpy but kindly neighbor dad, Ron Pfeiffer. I hope your dad never reads this,” Orihime said, lying down next to her husband and closing the bunk screen. “Bad Book Club is cancelled until further notice!” she said right before it closed.

He looked at Orihime and sighed. “I hate this book. I hate it. I hate Nel. I should have never apologized to her.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. But one could say it was misguidedly innocent and optimistic of you to keep your faith in her. In the end, she was the bad one.”

Ulquiorra sighed and buried his face into Orihime’s tummy. “All I wanted was a friend. She had to twist it. She’s still twisting things. I know it was supposed to be fiction, but it’s brought up a lot of bad memories.”

“Oh, Love, do you want to talk about it?” she asked, rubbing his back.

“Not really. I mean… I have an appointment with Zommari when I get back, and he’s probably going to talk to me about loving myself and letting go and how I need to just chill. He’s a lot better than Soifon but… hippie. I just...” Ulquiorra sighed and sat up. “I don’t like how she portrayed me and how Quinn sounded starved for sex and how he kept going between Bell and Ida, which is a fucking crappy name. My wife is not a potato. God, can I just--UGH.”

“It is a crappy name. And no one else is going to read this crappy book, at least no one important, so don’t even worry about it,” she said in a soothing voice, looking at him with love in her eyes.

“We could sue her. I could slap her with a lawsuit. I don’t want to because that would mean interaction with her or her lawyers, but I could do it,” he said.

“Well, and the fact that she has the proper disclaimer - This is a work of fiction; any and all resemblance to any characters, real or imaginary, is coincidental, blah blah blah. So whatever. It’s not worth the time, effort, or energy. She’s out of our lives. She has been for a couple of years now. As long as we don’t keep getting mail from her…”

“Restraining order.” Ulquiorra laid back down, clinging to Orihime, letting her comfort him. It was nice as he laid his head on her boobs. “You were never the bad guy.”

“You didn’t always think so,” she said with a smile. “You thought I was naughty. You didn’t trust me. But you’re right, I wasn’t the bad guy. And Nel can try to hurt you with the memory of your regrets, but you hold the power to decide whether you’re going to let her hurt you or not. Don’t let her hurt you, okay?”

Ulquiorra tilted his head to look up at his wife. She was lovely. She understood him. She was a miracle and any other cheesy word he could think of. “You really do love me, don’t you?” he asked.

“I really, really do,” she replied, using the backs of her fingers to caress his cheek.

“I love you, too.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: referenced sexual assault and emotional/physical aftermath therefrom. If that's something you do not want to read, skip this chapter; you'll be able to figure out what happened just fine.

Another fucking horrible day in her book? February 10th, 2024. It actually topped being drugged by Aizen and then the whole anal thing. Sick fucker. Oh well. It was in the past, just like in a couple of years this incident would be a hazy memory.

The silver-haired man called her the night before saying he needed to speak with her in person. Gin didn’t care if she had to work. He needed her to sign some documents. 

Why?

Because she had signed documents saying that she would be his sugar baby and that they had an arrangement and she had to sign papers saying they were no longer associates. Rangiku sighed. She was supposed to be at home. She was supposed to be researching. She was also hoping that she would be speaking to Shuhei later. Valentine’s day was actually an exciting time when it was spent with someone that cared about you and wasn’t just there for the fuck of it.

Sure, there would be no designer bags or expensive jewelry. There wasn’t any fancy dinner or top shelf booze. No. There would be a heart shaped pizza and probably a FaceTime mutual masturbation session. He’d be home soon. She hadn’t forgotten his words.

Shuhei Hisagi didn’t share his woman.

Rangiku was fine with that. 

So she pulled up in her BMW in front of Gin’s Beverly Hills mansion and behind the fancy Tesla he had recently bought. He was standing in front of the driver side door. Shit. He never waited for her outside.

He wore a white suit with a periwinkle shirt and a slightly darker purple tie. "Darling!" he said when she stepped out of the car.

The blonde woman smiled as she reached him. "You look dapper. What's the occasion?"

"We are celebrating your release," Gin said.

"Really?" she beamed. Maybe he would let go of her. "That's sweet of you."

She didn't miss how his smile widened to show his teeth or the fact that a bit of his ice blue eyes were visible. This wasn't a celebration. This was an ambush.

There was no way Rangiku could run away from this or him. He always said jump, holding a dollar bill over her head. All she asked for the past seven years was, "How high?", and she did it willingly.

Fuck. Shuhei was right. Gin had owned her. She didn’t have to comply, but for some reason she was stupid and did so.

He walked around the car and opened the passenger side door. All Rangiku could do was walk forward and plunk her ass down in the seat offered.

"I need your keys, darling."

Rangiku looked up at him and then dropped her car keys in his hand. He tossed them to someone before he got into the car.

They drove for almost an hour, to a nice neighborhood of Agoura Hills. He pulled into the driveway of a nice looking, modest home with a two car driveway. Someone pulled her car into the other spot.

Why was her car here? Rangiku turned and looked at Gin. "What is this?" she asked nervously with a smile on her face as her keys were given back to her.

"C'mon, you'll see." 

She did see. He produced a key and unlocked the door. He ushered her inside and grinned again. "Welcome home," he said, spreading his arms out.

Rangiku looked at Gin and around the empty living and kitchen area they were standing in. The room was bigger than her apartment. "Gin what is this?"

"I like spoiling my favorites; I always give my sugar babies a house. It also marks the end of our agreement. We had seven years. It's good to end on a number that people consider lucky," Gin said with a smile on his face.

What? What was Gin saying? Her brows furrowed. "Huh?"

"This house is your payment for being my sugar baby for the past seven years. We agreed you'd keep everything I've given you over the years. However, I have my limits, Ran, and you're almost thirty."

"I'm... I'm not almost thirty! Besides, I ended this weeks ago," she complained. "I'm happy in my apartment. Why--"

"I do this for all my sugar babies."

Then she realized what he was saying. Sugar babies, not sugar baby? He had multiple women he was paying to fuck? Her face fell. She wasn’t--

"Oh darling, did you think you were the only one? No. I have a rotation of whores. You happened to be my favorite. I got to you early. I was able to mold you into my ideal image of a woman," Gin said. "Now, I need you to be my stand in while I train the new girl up to your standards. So you're going to need to teach her how to do her makeup and dress. Also we're going to have a little meeting soon and you can teach her everything I like in bed. Hopefully she'll be more receiving to my advances--"

"No."

"Hmm? Did you say something Rangiku?"

"I said no. No, I'm not having a threesome with you and someone else," Rangiku stated, crossing her arms over her chest. She was tired of this. She was tired of being a whore to him. She was tired of his bullshit. She was tired of being held at a distance by the man she cared about so that she could be paid by this piece of shit. She was tired of being used by assholes. “I don’t have to do anything.”

Gin smiled, baring his teeth to her. "Are you refusing me? There would be a hefty parting bonus for you."

Rangiku nodded. "I'm done."

The man started laughing. "Okay Ran, have it your way. Edra, can you, Lindocruz and Ganntebain come here?" 

Her head of blonde hair whipped around so fast as she saw the big men enter the room. She then turned back to Gin. “Don’t do this,” she said. “Do not do this, Gin. I’ve been nothing but loyal to you--”

“Mila Rose, Aizen, Byakuya Kuchiki, Accutrone, Shuhei Hisagi. I heard everything you said to that cat of yours. How you were planning to be his little housewife. You cannot turn a ho into a housewife, Rangiku. Believe me, I tried. Four fucking backstabbing bitches who thought they could do better than me. You thought you could do better than me, didn’t you my little persimmon?”

Then it started. Gin stood there and watched as the three men took their time and their turns. He even got pictures of it. Rangiku was left sobbing on the wood floor. 

“When I get back from Europe, I expect you to be gone from your apartment. My new woman needs it and you can go fuck the baker… Oh, that’s right… He lied to you too, didn’t he? He won’t want you now because he doesn’t share, does he? I really hope you’re on the birth control you’re always harping about. It would be such a shame to see such a body like yours get ruined by children.”

There was a choked sob. She sniffled and wiped her face, removing the tears and the smeared mascara. “You’re not getting away with this,” Rangiku spat, trying to fix the dress the three men had torn. She turned and started limping towards the door. Her entire body hurt. Her thighs were slick and she felt sick to her stomach. 

“Sure, turn me in, Rangiku but then these photographs I took that are reminiscent of your porn days get sent to your boyfriend.”

She hobbled to a stop. “What?”

“If I go down, Shuhei Hisagi will know exactly what a whore you are. How you liked to get fucked raw by strange men. You looked down on my generosity all these years. You never took the initiative to get ahead. You could have gone somewhere in life but you were content to just sit in that apartment, gossiping about people and being lazy. If Jugo didn’t like the ratings your show was putting up I would have him cancel it. Since you refused my parting gift, you get nothing. You get everything in your apartment and the car, since it’s in your name, and the cat. I do hope you have friends that could put you up since I know you probably don’t have the money saved up to get your own place.”

“What? You’re--you--”

“I can. I will. I’ve killed bitches for less, Ran. You allowed that man to fuck you in a bed that I bought you, in an apartment I paid for. I saw it all. I heard it all. I even heard his rejection of you. Pissing and moaning like a bitch because he thinks I’m coming after him. As if I’d get my hands dirty over some low life delinquent who thinks he’s gonna make it big. No. I won’t go after Hisagi, I’m going to take all of his transgressions against me out on you. You’ve got a week to leave my property.”

Rangiku shuddered upon hearing the man’s cold words, and she hurried out to her car after gathering her purse and keys. Her phone was cracked. It flickered on but the screen was shattered. Fuck.

She sobbed as she started the car, tears coming to her eyes. She didn’t cry when Aizen drugged and raped her. She wasn’t going to cry now. She had things to do. But fuck, she just wanted to sit there and scream. She wanted Shuhei to hold her and tell her that she was perfect and beautiful and wonderful and rub her back. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t want her.

She drove back to the Sherman Oaks apartment only to see an eviction notice taped to the door. It wasn’t an official one, but it stated that she had seven days to leave the premises. Who could she call? Who could she ask for help? 

Shinji? No.

Rose? No.

Lisa? No.

Akon? No.

Hiyori? No.

Robert? Fuck no. He was married anyway.

The next name that flashed through her head was one that made her heart twist. She should ask Shuhei. Hell to the no. He thought this was settled and over. He’d start yelling probably. He was well within his rights to do so, but still. She had no one she could ask for help, and knowing if she asked Mila, her business would be all over the internet.

As soon as she unlocked the door, Ash was meowing at her, rubbing against her legs. She let out a cry and made her way to the bathroom, getting sick as her stomach lurched. As soon as she was done, Rangiku took the hottest shower ever, scrubbing her body and trying to get rid of any evidence of what happened. She sat on the shower floor, rocking back and forth, her crying rising over the hum of the water.

She needed someone right now. She didn’t have a fucking person to help her keep afloat. 

Orihime. Orihime would understand, wouldn’t she? She could tell Rangiku what to do and how to handle this.

After the shower, Rangiku found that her phone wouldn’t turn on at all. Since it was late afternoon, the phone store should have been open. She walked in with the darkest pair of sunglasses and the baggiest clothes she owned on. She paid cash for the phone and told the person that she wanted her number transferred. 

“That account has been cancelled.”

“I didn’t cancel anything,” Rangiku argued.

“Your husband did?”

“I’m not married!”

In the end, Rangiku had to pay extra to get the number turned back on and had to start her contract all over. The guy was really nice. All those numbers popped up in her contact list when she was finished setting the phone up. All of her photos were there. 

She tapped on Orihime’s name and then thought better of it. She just had to maintain a level head. She had to get a Plan B pill. She had to get tested for STIs. So she did all of that over the next couple of days all while hiring movers to get everything out of the apartment. The only things she did not and could not bring with her were the plants on the balcony. She had no where to put them and they were too much of a hassle to move. It broke her heart. She had lived in this same apartment for five years. Now all she had were two suitcases full of clothes and her cat’s carrier. Everything else was tucked away in her storage unit.

Hadn’t she said to Shuhei that she wanted to be a beach bum? Well, she was about to see how bums lived. It wasn’t even nine am before she grabbed her purse, the two suitcases and Ash’s carrier and took it down to her car, trying not to sob. Maybe she would pack everything in the storage unit up and move back to New York.

That wasn’t an option. Her parents expected her to be self-sustaining. Besides they had blocked her number and disowned her.

She swallowed her pride and she drove out to Malibu. 

***

He’d been up for a while taking care of King’s leg. The dog had hurt his paw and sprained it again. All he would need to do is wrap it and send King and Donnie to his dad’s house for a couple of days. He was planning on a mid-morning flight to Omaha where Orihime’s tour bus would pick him up.

That’s all he could think about.

Seeing Orihime.

He felt bad for taking time off, but Kisuke said it was fine. It would recharge him. This was self-care for Ulquiorra. Being around his wife healed him. His bag was already packed and ready to go. He was just waiting for Jon Cifer to text him. 

The baker-turned-stay-at-home-dad usually didn’t get up until eight am. So Ulquiorra had a bit.

His morning was expected to be calm. It was expected to be peaceful. He didn’t anticipate any guests or deliveries. So he was kind of irritated when the gate buzzer sounded, rousing him from reading a news article. 

Who the fuck was this disheveled blonde woman standing beside the white car. She was jittery. She kept turning her head from side to side. It almost looked like Rangiku, but there would be no possible way that was her. Rangiku wouldn’t let her hair become so tangled and dirty looking. Rangiku wouldn’t have bruises around her throat.

The woman certainly wouldn’t wear baggy clothing that hid her body.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Ulq?”

Sure enough, it was Rangiku. Jesus, she looked terrible. “Matsumoto? What the hell? It’s only seven-thirty. What are you doing here?”

“That’s me,” she said with an unsure smile before bursting into tears.

Whoa. Ulquiorra pressed the button that would unlock the gate. He was out of the house and running up the driveway a moment later. Rangiku was slumped against the BMW, sobbing.

Oh hell. “Do you want me to call Shu--”

“NO! No! Please, don’t. Please Ulquiorra. He can’t know about this,” she choked out.

The man was tossed into his memories of Orihime after Aizen had attacked her, but his wife had not been able to make this much noise. “C’mon, let’s get you inside.”

A light rain began to fall and Rangiku sat at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee in front of her, tears trickling down her face unchecked. Ulquiorra sat with her, not sure of what to say. “Rangiku?”

“Hmmm?”

“I have a plane to catch soon. If you wanted to catch up over a cup of coffee we can--”

“He raped me.”

Ulquiorra’s eyes grew wide. “Shu or someone else?”

Tch. She gave him a baleful glance. “Gin,” Rangiku said, sounding lifeless. “He didn’t do it personally. He had some assholes do it, but he watched. He has pictures. He--he--he--”

Ulquiorra wasn’t a touchy-feely person, but this woman needed help. The sobs that were coming from her sounded wounded. So he got up and approached the woman, slipping his arms around her shoulders. Of course she clung to him, fingertips digging into his skin.

Fingertips? Rangiku always had long nails.

His eyes glanced at the hand he could see. There were no pretty acrylics or gels adorning her hands. There was no pretty polish or glittering jewels. Her usually perfect nails were torn, stubby and looked painful. 

“Shhh, did you go to the police?”

“No. If he goes down then Shu will see the photos and he’ll hate me and Gin said he’d release them and tell everyone I do porn and what a whore I am,” she said after her crying had subsided. “Shu is going to hate me. I know it. I told him this was done and over. Gin said he was going to take all of Shuhei’s transgressions out on me.” She then told him what happened.

“Okay. Okay, I understand that. Orihime didn’t want the information that Aizen attacked her to be public knowledge. Uh, why don’t you go back home--”

Another wail. Then she told him the other news. Gin had paid for everything for her over the past seven years. That apartment she lived in? Gin’s. The car she drove, Gin paid for it but it was in her name. Everything in her storage unit? Gin probably paid for. She used his mansion to film things when she needed a glamorous backdrop. 

She had nowhere to go. She had no one to turn to. She didn’t have any immediate cash to crash at a hotel or to get her own place. Well, she had some cash but it wasn’t enough for a long-term stay. Her money was all tied up and she didn’t want to go to the bank where her deposit box was just in case Gin was lurking around. He’d be sadistic enough to want to see the fruits of his labor.

“Okay. Um, you’re more than welcome to stay here. I have to go. I have to drop my dogs off and get to the airport--Rangiku.”

She just kept crying. “Please don’t leave me alone. I--I’ve spent a lot of time alone and I think if I hadn’t, this wouldn’t have happened. Please.”

Dammit. Orihime was going to have his ass. For some reason, he didn’t think Rangiku was lying. Her pain looked too great and her sorrow too deep for this to be some plot to expose him.

“I’m going to call, Orihime,” he said walking out of the kitchen. He heard her bare feet slapping the floor behind him. It made Ulquiorra turn around. “Yeah?”

“I don’t want to be alone,” Rangiku said, her bottom lip quivering. 

Ulquiorra saw the fresh tears forming. This was just like Orihime, except Rangiku could function. How the fuck did she function with what she had told him? Hell, Orihime’s attacker had attempted rape and she couldn’t function for a couple of days. Granted, he had also left her with a broken ankle and dislocated elbow. Still...

“This has happened before hasn’t it?”

She nodded. 

“Aizen?”

Again Rangiku nodded. “He drugged me and then did it. I woke up fourteen hours later. Took a plan B, did the STI gamut, cried, told Gin and got laughed at. I can’t do anal because of Aizen. I can’t stand it. I can’t… It’s one of the reasons why I’ve never been attached to anyone.”

That was TMI, but if she wanted to talk and it made her feel better, Ulquiorra would just smile and listen.

“C’mon, Orihime is going to want to talk to you.” When he got down to the bedroom, he noticed Rangiku standing in the hall, poking her head in the room. “What?”

“I don’t know, I just imagined that Orihime would have more decorating sense.”

“This is my decorating sense. I told her the next house we get she can decorate however. I like this house just the way it is,” Ulquiorra said. He picked up his phone. “Do you have anything in your car that needs to come inside?”

“My cat.”

“Fuck. Okay, so I’m going to call my dad first and then I’ll call Orihime.”

The conversation with Jon Cifer was quiet with the older man agreeing to take care of the gray cat until Rangiku was back. He knew the dogs would go insane the moment they saw the feline, so it was best if Rangiku kept her in the car. “Thanks, I’ll see you in a bit,” Ulquiorra said to his father.

“Is he good with animals?” she asked still in the hallway. 

Jesus. “Come in and sit,” he said, turning around. When he pivoted he saw Rangiku just inside the door and sitting down on the floor. That wasn’t what he meant but oh well. “Do you need to pack anything? We’re going to be there for a couple of days.”

“I--I--I don’t want to--”

“Rangiku, how long have you been wearing this outfit?”

“Since it happened. I got home and puked and put it on after a shower. They can’t hurt me if they can’t see me. I’m just someone else to this city,” she replied.

Great. What the hell was he supposed to do? Rangiku followed him back upstairs. She followed him out to her car where he got her suitcases. He took them to the small guest room on the first floor. There was a bathroom separating this room from Shuhei’s room. He went back downstairs to the laundry area and got Rangiku a backpack. Of course she followed him. “Pack a bag. I’m going to be out in the hall talking to Orihime.”

He heard the blonde woman whimper as he left the room then he called his wife, pacing the floor, putting the phone on speaker.

“Hey Ernie! You ready already?” Her chipper voice answered.

“I’m gonna have a plus one. You wouldn’t believe what has happened already today. Rangiku showed up, at like seven-something. She’s crying. She hasn’t washed her hair or changed her clothes. She has no fake nails. There’s bruises--She’s a fucking mess and I don’t know what to do,” Ulquiorra said bypassing a true greeting to his wife.

Orihime’s face went from happy to shocked to angry and back to shocked until finally landing in something close to businesslike. “Do you want me to talk to her? Does she need a hospital?”

“I don’t know, Orihime. She said Gin had some guys… attack her. They--all three of them--She says...”

A hand came up to the redhead’s forehead and her features pinched together. “Oh god. Oh my god, Ulquiorra…” Her breath hitched and she had to blink rapidly and swallow, trying to hold back her emotions and think clearly. “Ask her if she needs medicine or if she’s injured. If she doesn’t want to talk to me… She thinks I look down on her because of the Gin thing. She might not want… Just ask her.”

He didn’t need to ask her. Rangiku was standing behind him. “I took a Plan B. I went to a clinic and had STI tests. They’re supposed to call me today. A couple days later for some others. I’m not… I’m not...” The blonde woman hiccuped.

“She has bruises around her throat,” Ulquiorra said.

“I don’t think anything else is wrong. There wasn’t any bleeding.”

Again… TMI but Ulquiorra sighed. “Did you hear her Orihime?”

Orihime’s sharp breath was his only response at first; the memory of Aizen’s hands crushing her throat and the resulting bruises came rushing back to her like it was yesterday and knocked the wind out of her. She needed to focus. This was not about her, as much as her brain wanted to take her there. She coughed to clear her throat. “Yes, I heard. Does she… Does she need you to stay with her?”

It was then Ulquiorra turned away from Rangiku. “She’s following me around and doesn’t want to be alone. I’m having her pack a couple of outfits. We’re going to need a hotel. She doesn’t want Shu to know. She says she can’t go to the police. I’m going to have to get her into the shower and wash her clothes… She’s wearing pajama pants and a hoodie like three sizes too big.”

Ulquiorra sighed. He switched the call to video and then pointed the camera at Rangiku, who stood there looking like a kid.

Orihime tried to iron out the sick look on her face and tried to talk to the other woman as an ally. “Ran? Rangiku? Do you think you can get into the shower?”

The blonde woman shrugged and turned her face away from Ulquiorra and his phone. “I don’t know. I… took a shower on, uh, I don’t remember.”

“If you’re coming with me, you’re getting a shower. I’ll go get some of Orihime’s conditioner. You can use Shu’s--”

Rangiku’s eyes filled with tears and she started crying again.

Orihime made a disapproving face for a second and then spoke again, “Rangiku, one step at a time. We take a shower every day. Let’s take our shower. She can use my soap, Ulquiorra.”

He had enough sense to look scolded. “Sorry. I… I don’t know what to do,” Ulquiorra said to his wife. He walked towards Rangiku and put the phone into her hands. “Orihime is here with you. I’m going to drop the animals off. She will stay with you.”

Rangiku looked terrified as she took the phone and looked down at Orihime’s image on the screen then Ulquiorra’s face. “Okay, okay.”

“Matsumoto. You’re safe here. Please, please trust me,” Ulquiorra said and then walked into the kitchen to grab his keys. He told the dogs the magic word and they went running for the door. “I’ll be back. Orihime is right there.”

Orihime nodded and watched Ulquiorra leave, then asked Rangiku, “Do you want to tell me?”

“I told Gin it was over. I was done. Two weeks later he tells me I need to sign some papers officially ending our agreement. He takes me to this house and says it’s mine and I need to train his new girl. I told him no. I didn’t want it. I didn’t need it. I didn’t want him,” Rangiku sank to the floor of the hallway and sniffled. “He told me this was for what I did. All those people I slept with. I haven’t slept with a lot of people. Mila, Aizen, Byakuya, Shinji but that was a drunk threesome with Lisa, Shuhei, my manager. He said he did it mostly because of Shuhei. Can’t turn a ho into a housewife.”

Orihime’s eyes stung as they narrowed, listening to the other woman’s story. After she finished, Orihime said, “You listen to me, Rangiku Matsumoto, and I will tell you this until you believe it. It doesn’t matter what Gin said his reasons were. Nobody has the right to hurt you. No one. Not for any reason. You were so brave. You’re being so brave.” She had to stop or she would start crying.

“He kicked me out of my apartment. My phone got broke. He has pictures of it. I don’t know what--” She let out a sob. “I don’t know what to do. I want to go to the cops. Shu is going to hate me and Gin will tell everyone that I’m a whore and do porn. He’ll release the photos.”

“Oh, Ran,” Orihime said in a shaky sigh. “Don’t worry about Shuhei right now. He’s a very kind and loving person. But, you need to focus on yourself for the moment. If you want to go to the police, we will support you. If you prefer to make it all go away and not risk tarnishing your public image… That is your choice. You don’t owe it to anyone to martyr yourself for justice. Do what makes you most comfortable. None of us will think you aren’t doing the right thing. Only you know what’s right for you.”

More tears came and Rangiku pulled her knees to her chest and put her head on them “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I don’t have anyone else. I didn’t want to bother anyone but--”

“Shhh. Shhh. You are not a bother. We’re here for you, Ran. We care about you. We want you to be well and we will help you get there. Shh,” Orihime said into the phone, wishing that she could reach through it to soothe the woman who was breaking her heart at the moment.

“Okay. Take care of myself. Shower. I have other bruises. I didn’t show Ulquiorra. I can’t. I don’t want to. I’ve not--I don’t want to see them,” Rangiku told Orihime in a scared voice.

“Do you want to show me? I will remember them for you if you want.”

Rangiku didn’t say anything for a moment. “I guess. I can’t strip down here. I’ve never been in your house beyond the half bath and the living area. I did see your bedroom. I sat on the floor. I--I--I can’t do this.” Another long wail came out of Rangiku’s mouth.

Orihime let her go off for a minute, letting silent tears streak down her own face as she watched her friend break down. After Rangiku’s cries quieted, Orihime asked, “Would you be more comfortable using my bathroom? You can use it. You can hide in my closet. No one else goes in there. It can be a safe place.”

There was a nod. Rangiku slowly got to her feet. “Downstairs?” When Orihime confirmed the location, she slowly walked down the stairs. The redhead gave her directions and then Rangiku was standing in the bathroom. She knew how to work a phone so she flipped the view to the front facing camera and sighed. “I’m tired. I want to sleep. I don’t want to sleep. I have nightmares.” 

She put the phone down where it was facing one of the mirrors in the room and slipped the hoodie over her head. She just wore a bra under it. There were hand shaped bruises around her upper arms and wrists. When she took off the pajama pants there were marks on her thighs and ankles. Rangiku kept her head down and tried not to look at herself. “Towels?”

“In the big drawer on the right,” Orihime answered, silently taking screenshots of the woman’s injuries in case one day she decided that she wanted to pursue justice. “There’s a spare toothbrush in the top drawer if you need it.”

Rangiku got what she needed and then looked at the shower. It was weird walking around naked in someone’s bathroom that she barely knew. Orihime was kind enough to help her though. “Thank you,” Rangiku said. She got into the shower and turned it on, fiddling with the knobs and such. She used Orihime’s soaps and shampoo and conditioner and emerged ten minutes later. She didn’t care if her legs weren’t shaved or if she didn’t look perfect.

The redhead was still on camera. Rangiku turned pink and quickly wrapped a towel around her. “Okay, shower. Now brush my teeth then my hair.”

“Good. Me too. Hope you don’t mind if I take you to the bathroom with me,” Orihime said, a bit sheepish.

“I mean… I don’t mind. At this point we’re like BFFs.” Rangiku gave her an awkward smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause problems or anything. I--I just wanted to get away from Gin and be with Shu.”

“I know. It will happen. Just be patient with yourself, okay? Do you have clothes or do you need to borrow some? My closet is right around the corner.”

This time Rangiku shook her head. “I have… I have clothes. Two suitcases. I had to leave myself something out when packing my apartment. I’m going to be living out of them for a while.” 

“You can put stuff in our spare room. You’ll stay there until you figure out what you want to do. That’s non-negotiable. You don’t need to worry about Shu, either. He’s stuck on the bus for weeks. Okay?”

“Okay. But… I don’t want him to know about this. He doesn’t share, and I’m just… I don’t want him to get mad. I’ll just… I’ll just tell him friends,” Rangiku’s face was screwing up with pain. She couldn’t think of Shuhei right now. She became too emotional. Everything she had with him was ruined now. Fucking Gin. She would kill him if she ever had the chance.

Orihime couldn’t help the sympathetic, maternal sounding chuckle that came out of her mouth. “Sweetheart, you don’t need to worry about Shuhei Hisagi. He will rise to the occasion. Trust me. Just have patience and faith. Take care of yourself. The rest will take care of itself.”

She had said that before. Have patience. Take care of yourself. Right. Okay. “Brush teeth.” So Rangiku did that. She took the toothbrush with her upstairs and then went into that tiny room. It was probably as big as her old kitchen, which wasn’t big. The blonde sat on the bed and sighed. “I think Ulq is home. I just heard a car outside,” Rangiku said. She had to be quick about pulling on some comfortable underwear that she had forever and then some pants and another pullover. She finished putting on socks just as the green eyed man came down the hall.

“Are you done?” he asked.

“Yeah, thank you. Thank you Orihime.”

Ulquiorra took the phone and switched it back to audio and put it up to his ear. “Well?” He asked his wife. “What’s going on? Is she coming with me?”

“You can’t leave her alone. You’re either staying home or bringing her with. Be gentle with her. It’s bad.”

A long drawn out breath left Ulquiorra. “Okay, I’ll get her a ticket and we’ll see you in Omaha. This is fucked up. My mom said Gin is so fucking happy as he runs around the office. Asshole. I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Woman.”


	41. Chapter 41

This was not how Orihime planned to spend Valentine’s Day. She asked Isane to cancel the big king-sized room at the Marriott and book adjoining double queen rooms. She didn’t want Rangiku right on top of them, but if the woman didn’t want to be alone, she couldn’t blame her.

The thought had occurred to her later to have Ulquiorra ask Nanao to stay with Rangiku in Malibu, but the memory of the woman’s cries and bruised body coupled with the assistant’s all-business demeanor made her nix that idea. Rangiku needed help. She needed to feel sheltered and protected.

She had Isane rent a car they could use and left Princess with Ichigo and Shuhei and went to wait for Ran and Ulq at the airport, arriving about twenty minutes early.

“C’mon Ran. Gin isn’t in the middle of nowhere Nebraska,” he told the woman as he escorted her through the airport. He had called Orihime as soon as they landed and she assured him that she would be there. Then he saw the redhead. He couldn’t run to her because of how Rangiku was hanging onto his arm. “Woman,” he called out. 

Orihime’s eyes widened as she turned around and took in the sight. She hoped no one recognized her husband, or the rumors would fly about him an a mysterious, clingy blonde flying out to nowhere. She smiled at him though, the expression dropping a little when she turned her eyes on Rangiku as she approached. “How’s everyone holding up?” she asked, kissing her husband first.

“Well, if you don’t count the times she just broke down in first class or the fact that I wore a hat and sunglasses through LAX, we’re holding up,” Ulquiorra said. He put Rangiku’s hands on Orihime’s arm. “Babysit, I have to piss. Oh, here’s her bag.”

He put the used worn bookbag at Rangiku’s feet and left the ladies alone to use the facilities, Orihime scowling after him.

“I’m sorry,” Rangiku said. “I annoyed him.”

“Don’t worry about it. He’s not very romantic anyway,” Orihime muttered, patting Rangiku’s hands. “Do you want to get to the hotel right away or do we need to stop anywhere first?” she asked sweetly as she led them to a row of chairs.

Rangiku shook her head. “I don’t want to be around people. I keep thinking I see Gin everywhere although he’s not here. He’s in LA. I could handle this the first time. This time, I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“Aizen is indiscriminate in most cases. This was personal, Ran. It’s no wonder you are dealing with it differently. Come here,” Orihime said, extracting her arm from Rangiku’s hands and holding both of them out to her. “Let’s just snuggle up here and wait for Mr. Grumpy.”

It wasn’t surprising that Rangiku took to Orihime. The woman had a level head on her. She seemed to be calm in situations like this. With caution, Rangiku let Orihime hug her. It wasn’t the best hug, but it was one that she needed. She sighed. “I hope I didn’t ruin your plans. I probably did. That’s what Ulq kept saying is that the plans had to change.”

“He’s right. They do. It happens,” Orihime said, tucking Rangiku’s head into her shoulder. “Just try to relax.”

Ulquiorra returned to them at that point. He huffed seeing the two women. “Let’s go or does she need a minute?”

Orihime lowered her face to Rangiku‘s ear and asked softly, “Are you ready, Sweetheart?”

Rangiku knew she was a mess. She was distraught. She was anxious. She just wanted to feel okay. “Yeah I’m ready. Can we stop at a drive through? I want a soda, maybe. Calories though.”

“Fuck calories. If you want it, have it,” Ulquiorra said. “Self care.”

Orihime nodded. “Come on, let’s get up, I’m parked close by.”

It didn’t take long for them to get into the car with Ulquiorra sitting in the backseat to let Rangiku stay up front. To be honest, he was scared. He was tired. He didn’t know how to help the blonde and it kept bringing back memories of Orihime’s attack. “I might take Ivan down to a bar tonight. Lord knows I need a drink. You two can talk or paint your nails or whatever.” 

Again, Orihime scowled at him, this time in the rearview mirror. “Thanks for the suggestions. I think we can entertain ourselves. Pay-per-view and room service sounds good, right Ran?”

The woman nodded. She had already caused problems and Ulquiorra hated her. It would be best if she kept her mouth shut. “Whatever is fine.”

“This wasn’t how I planned to--”

“Do you think this is how I planned to spend Valentine’s day?” Rangiku asked. “You’re not the one avoiding your significant other since Friday because you can’t bear to hear his voice. You’re not the one who got kicked out of their home by a--a--”

“Come on you two,” Orihime interrupted. There’s no reason to lash out at each other. I know this situation is terrible, but remember we’re all here because we want to get better. We love each other and that’s what’s important.” She sounded matronly.

“Sorry,” Ulquiorra said.

Rangiku just nodded. They stopped at some fast food place where she got herself a large Coke. Then before she knew it they were at a hotel. “You said Shu was staying on the bus?”

“Yep. We usually do unless there’s a long break,” Orihime answered.

She sighed. The last thing she needed was for Shuhei to see her. 

Ulquiorra said nothing as he left the backseat, muttering under his breath about something. He saw the tour bus across the parking lot and started walking towards it.

“Hey! Don’t you want to drop off your stuff or say goodbye, or I don’t know, kiss your wife?”Orihime called out as she exited the vehicle with an offended voice.

He turned around and looked at Orihime. “Princess? I’m coming right back. You act like I’m leaving for good. I’m not. I’m gonna see her and then I’m--fuck I don’t know what room we’re in.” He jogged back over to where Orihime stood. “Sorry, I’m just… flustered, frustrated.”

“Shut up,” she muttered, pulling him down for a kiss and slipping a keycard into his hand. “Room 492,” she said when she let go.

“I promise I’ll be quick then I can say a proper hello to you,” Ulquiorra said to her. Then he saw a blonde head pop out of the car. “I’m also running interference for you. You know the moment he sees her, he’ll come running.”

She sighed. “Good call. See you soon. I love you,” she said before popping the trunk and grabbing Rangiku’s bag.

“Love you,” Ulquiorra said as he backed up. He turned around and made his way back to the bus. How much had Orihime told them? Did she tell them why there was a change of plans?

Orihime led Rangiku into the hotel and up to the rooms, handing her one of the cards for room 494. “This room opens directly to ours, so if you need anything, we’re right here,” she said, explaining the room set up with the adjoining room doors. “But if you want to just chill out with me in one, we can do that.”

Rangiku frowned and looked at the card in her hand. She hadn’t been sleeping much since it happened. Maybe having someone in the room would help her sleep. “Maybe… maybe I’ll stay with you and when Ulq comes back… I’ll… Can the dog come up? Ulq said Princess right? The big one?”

“If that’s what you want, we can try that,” Orihime said, smiling at the other woman. “Come on, let’s lie down and watch something stupid.”

***

Ulquiorra entered the bus and was whined at. There were barks and yips until he paid attention to the dog. Then he saw Ichigo and Shuhei. “Hey.”

“Hey! Thought you’d already be balls deep in the missus,” Ichigo said, barely looking away from his video game.

“Yeah, well, we have a guest so that’s not feasible at the moment,” Ulquiorra replied. Both men seemed engrossed in their activities, so maybe they hadn’t seen who got out of the car. He didn’t know how he was going to hide Rangiku while they rode to Omaha with the group.

“What? Do you guys have friends in Omaha? Damn it, Ivan!” Shuhei said, only half focused on Ulquiorra as he played.

“No? We had a tag-a-long from Los Angeles,” Ulquiorra replied.

“Who?” Of course, today was the day that Shuhei decided to be nosy.

“Uh, uh, I, um… I brought along...” Ulquiorra floundered for a name. “You don’t know her.”

Two heads whipped around to look at him. “You mean…” Shu stopped, a look of shock on his face.

“You brought along a girlfriend to fuck your wife with on Valentine’s Day? Nice.” Ichigo said with a perverted smile.

He avoided Shuhei’s gaze. “I mean you guys know her but you don’t know her,” Ulquiorra said. Fuck he about put his foot in his mouth. “If I’m having a threesome it’s going to be someone worshiping my wife along with me, not me fucking two women. We don’t do things like that. Orihime has never expressed an interest in it either.”

Ichigo had lost interest and turned back to the game, while Shuhei looked relieved and smiled. “Okay Mr. Mystery.”

With a huff, Ulquiorra sat down and pet the dog and thought about this situation. If Shu kept busy with video games he may never notice there was an extra person on the bus. “So what do you two have planned for tonight? FaceTime fucks? Romantic phone sex?”

“I’m writing this year off, Oliver. With the baby at home, nobody is in the mood. Apparently she’s not sleeping well.”

“Nothing for me,” Shu muttered. He did not want to talk about how Rangiku had been avoiding him.

“Well sucks to be you guys. I’m gonna take Princess for a walk. Orihime’s in the hotel with Ra--” he stopped and stood up. The dog was standing in his way so he couldn’t just leave after the flub.

“The Egyptian sun god?” Ichigo asked.

“Yep, absolutely. Dug them right out of the crypt. I’ve got to go. Move your ass, Princess.”

Shuhei didn’t miss it. He just hoped he was wrong.

***

“You doing okay?” Orihime asked. “We can order some food if you’re hungry.”

After the second crying jag, Rangiku felt exhausted. So yeah, she was doing okay. Her head lay in Orihime’s lap. “I’m not hungry. I want to see him but… I feel hopeless. Did you feel like this? Like Ulquiorra wouldn’t or didn’t want you? Like if you told him, he’d be--he’d be...”

“Oh my god, yes,” Orihime said, gently raking her fingers through Rangiku’s hair. “I had no one to turn to and I called him to save me after it happened. I felt so guilty. I was sure he hated me even though he let me stay with him after the hospital.”

The redhead’s actions were soothing Rangiku. She felt at peace when the woman’s fingers slipped through her hair. “I feel like that. I know you say that Shu is kind and sweet and understanding, but he’s a guy. How can I tell him Gin didn’t come after him, but for me? I can’t.”

“You don’t have to. Nobody says you have to. It’s not his business. Even if you end up married to him, you don’t have to tell him that.”

Married? Ha. She would be lucky if he looked at her. “Do you hide things from Ulq? Shu doesn’t even know about the first time.”

“Yes. I never told him about your and Gin’s arrangement.”

“That’s different. I meant about yourself.”

“Well, I did not tell him that I was molested as a child for a long time,” she offered. “I only told him when I was ready.”

Rangiku didn’t say anything for a long time. “I’m tired of everything. Tired of Los Angeles; tired of people. I don’t want this hanging over my head.”

“Take a break. Reprioritize. Find yourself. You’ve been living a life that you’ve grown out of. It’s going to be an adjustment,” Orihime said with a soft chuckle, moving her hand down to run over the woman’s arm gently.

“I did that once and look where it got me,” Rangiku said bitterly. “I need a nap. I’ve not had much sleep.”

“Okay. Do you want some privacy?”

Rangiku sat up and looked at Orihime. “No, please. I know you don’t like me but please stay here with me.”

Rangiku was yanking at her heartstrings. “Okay. Let’s lie down. I’m going to change my clothes. You don’t care if I just do it here, right?” Orihime said, getting up and going to her bag.

“No,” Rangiku said. She didn’t watch Orihime. Instead she laid down with her back to the woman. “I’m sorry I screwed up our friendship.”

“It’s nothing that can’t be unscrewed, Ran,” Orihime said as she climbed into the bed beside her in a nightshirt. “Get some rest.”

An hour later, Ulquiorra delivered Princess back to the bus and went inside the hotel. He swiped the card for the room and found his wife in bed with another woman. Well, then. If this was anyone else at any other time, Ulquiorra would consider it, but now wasn’t appropriate. And no offense Rangiku, but ewww. 

The blonde was asleep but she looked so troubled. Why had she reached out to him? Why hadn’t she gone to anyone else? Then he saw Orihime look at him and Ulquiorra frowned. “I almost told them she was here,” he said quietly.

Orihime sat up and looked at him. “Don’t you dare! It’s none of their business!” she hissed, trying not to disturb Rangiku.

“I said almost. This wasn’t how I wanted to spend today with you. I wanted to get your roses. I wanted to buy you wine. I wanted to flaunt my marriage in your tourmates’ faces. I didn’t want to deal with Rangiku and her issues. Why did she come to me? Does my face scream friendliness?” Ulquiorra asked. 

“No, it doesn’t. But c’mere,” she said, beckoning him with a finger. “I love you and we’ll make it up to each other.”

“Tch,” he said. Ulquiorra walked over to where his wife sat and sat down on the bed. “I’m angry for her. I’m pissed off at Gin. We could have taken her in and helped her. It also makes me pissed off about the whole OIV thing all over again.”

She took one of his hands and threaded her fingers through his. “Have I told you recently that I think you’re a really good person? Because I do,” she said, kissing his hand before putting both theirs hands in his lap.

A small smile played over his mouth and he kissed back. “Ivan asked me why I wasn’t balls deep in the missus. I should be, because she gives me amazing compliments. And she loves me. And she’s funny, brilliant, awesome...” Ulquiorra pulled Orihime into his lap. “It’s a shame our bed is occupied.”

She smiled at him and said, “we could always swap rooms. They’re identical but mirror image.”

Ulquiorra didn’t wait. He stood up with Orihime in his arms. “Let’s go.”

***

Rangiku heard them. She was awake the instant she heard Ulquiorra’s voice. He had almost told Shuhei? As soon as the couple left the room, the blonde woman was out of the bed. She was pulling on her shoes and slipped out the door with her bag. There was no way she could lay there and listen to their happiness. 

It felt wrong. 

So she decided to take a walk. She didn’t know where she would go, but Rangiku knew she couldn’t stay in the hotel room. Not right now. Maybe she should just march over to the tour bus and knock on the door. She didn’t exactly march over to the vehicle.

She more or less skirted the parking lot. There weren’t a lot of cars in it. She thought this would be better than just being spotted right off the bat. Except she was spotted by a taller woman with silverish hair who nodded at her.

The name was skipping her at the moment. Ran knew she worked for Orihime, though. She’d probably snitch on her too. Oh well. Rangiku had to get this off her chest.   
  


She lifted her hand and then dropped it. Maybe she should just text him. Yeah, texting sounded like a great idea. She turned around to walk away from the bus, when she heard barking from the interior. Rangiku froze.

The dog was going nuts.

“Princess, what is your problem,” Shuhei said, looking over his shoulder from his spot on the couch. The dog wouldn’t let up, though. He looked at the time. “Do you have to go outside?”

The dog started jumping up at the door, scratching at it with her claws.

“Hold on, Puppers, I’m coming. Let me get some shoes on, Christ,” he complained, turning his head back and forth until he spotted a leash and then clicked it into place while he slipped on some athletic sandals, then opened the bus doors and came out, dog first.

With her back to the bus, Rangiku hoped to whatever god there was Shuhei wouldn’t notice her. She was just some woman standing in the parking lot. She knew it was him because she heard him bitching. She didn’t think this through all the way. Once she saw him what was she going to say? Rangiku looked over her shoulder at him.

He was focused on the dog. Princess usually walked for him well on a leash, but today she kept pulling. “What is it, girl? What, do you smell a Wendy’s or something? That actually smells pretty good,” he said, trying to yank back at the dog, but seeing as she outweighed him by about ten pounds, it wasn’t easy going. Then he saw another person in her path. “Oh, hey, you might want to watch out, this wolf thing is on a mission,” he said, not quite looking the person in the face.

She could deal with this. She could totally deal with this. She dealt with the Aizen thing. She had pushed it to the side, not letting it ruin her life. She could totally do that and apply it to what Gin had done to her. She would just have to keep herself covered around him. 

Rangiku turned around. “Hi Prin--whoa!”

The dog had jumped up on her and placed her paws on Rangiku’s shoulders, licking her face. 

“What the-- Rangiku? What are you doing here?!” he asked, a bright smile across his face.

“Surprise?” she said, trying to force a smile on her face. It almost worked. “I thought… I thought I’d come and visit. You know, as friends do.”

His brows flinched for just a second at her choice of words, and he pushed the dog away from the woman. “Move it, mutt,” he said before offering Rangiku a hand. “Well, this is a fantastic surprise. Ulquoirra said he brought someone with him… How long have you two been planning this?” He felt a bit awkward and gave her some space. She was acting twitchy and wouldn’t make eye contact the way she usually did. He gave her space to breathe while he tried to sort out what was up with her.

“Uh, I kind of just thought of this, this morning. I--” Her mouth trembled. “Gin--I--” Jesus she couldn’t even speak.

Shit. Something was wrong. She wouldn’t come all the way out to BFE to stand around in sweatpants and complain about something trivial. He took a step toward her and held out his hands to hug her. “What’s wrong, Ran, you can tell me,” he said, cautiously urgent.

She shook her head. She wasn’t physically able to tell him. The words wouldn’t come out and if she started speaking, she wouldn’t stop. “Just… Gin...” she stated as if that explained everything.

It did not. “Gin what? What did he do to you? Why do you look terrorized? Ran, please talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.” Why wouldn’t she come to him? He took another step forward.

She took half a step back. “Shu, I… you. I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” he asked, stopping his pursuit and dropping his hands, but not letting the distrust he was starting to feel well up in his belly show on his face.

“I’m not a good person. I let bad people do bad things to me. I didn’t fight back when I should have,” she said. Rangiku took a deep breath and pulled up the long sleeve of her pullover to show off her wrist and the purplish bruise there. Maybe it would be best if she showed him instead of telling him.

His spine stiffened. A deep, slow breath was sucked into his nostrils as his brows set at a harsh angle, his eyes taking in the marks on the woman he cared for. He stared at them for a long time, anger boiling inside of him. When he looked back to her face, his eyes looked like there was hellfire burning in them. There was deadly intent in his voice, even though it was very quiet, when he asked, “Who did this to you?”

“Indirectly? Gin. I don’t remember their names.”

“How many?” His voice retained that chilling quality.

She tried to take a deep breath but hiccuped. “Three. I--” Rangiku could feel her stomach twisting. She could feel bile rising in her throat.

“Did you talk to the police? Do you want me to kill somebody? Because I feel like I want to kill somebody, Ran.”

“I can’t go to the cops. Gin--” She had to remain calm about this. It wasn’t a big deal. She had dealt with this--Her eyes squeezed shut. “I’m not worth prison. I never was worth anything, Shu.”

“This is bullshit!” he barked, taking another step toward her and trying desperately to contain his rage. “You are worth everything to me, Ran! You-- Fuck!” He pulled at his hair, trying to calm down. He paced a bit and then turned his upper body to face her. “Are you okay? How are you standing here? Do I need to take you to a hospital? Where’s Orihime? Did she help you?” the questions assaulting his mind just would not stop. “Can I hold you?”

She backed up another step and felt Princess sit down beside her. The huge dog almost came up to her chest. “Physically… I guess I’m okay. The clinic emailed my results. Nothing bad there. Mentally? I just need to put this to the side. Orihime’s with her husband. She doesn’t know I’m out here. I couldn’t listen to their--their--I couldn’t listen to it. I’m never going to have that kind of happiness. No one can help me really. I took care of everything. I got to a clinic. I took a pill. I called the movers. I packed up my apartment. I did it all myself until I realized...” This time a small sob left her mouth. “I don’t even know why I went to Ulquiorra.” Tears were coming down her face and Rangiku put her hands over her face to hide from him.

She wasn’t going to get better on her own. He knew it. He thought she knew it. Carefully, and minding Princess’ protective posture, he came up to Rangiku and put his arms around her, gently, trying not to hurt her anymore than she already was. “Ran?”

“What?” she asked.

  
  
“You did the right thing.”

“I did nothing Shuhei. I didn’t fight back. I screamed and struggled.” Her voice was that flat tone again.

“Ran,” he said, his voice getting a bit tighter as his eyes turned red. “You don’t have to look at me. You don’t have to do that. But listen to me. You did _everything_ right. You survived.” He choked on the last word and put his lips in her hair to stop them from quivering.

“You don’t have to be nice to me Shu. You don’t have to--He told me… He said he’s killed women for less. I disrespected him. This is the price I paid for--He won’t come after you,” Rangiku said quietly. Her heart was breaking for some reason. For what they wouldn’t have; what they couldn’t have? “I might have survived, but why? He has pictures and is probably going to blackmail me with them. I’m still going to have to bend to him. I have to keep my image clean. I don’t know what to do. Do I just say fuck it and let it happen? Can you live seeing that?”

He lifted his face and used a finger to tilt her chin up and look at her. “You do what you have to do, Ran. If it is important to keep your image clean; if you think he’ll protect you by being his slave, that’s up to you. Or, you can take your chances and live your life. You don’t want to turn him in. Those are your options. What do you want to do?” he asked gazing into her eyes, trying to find hope.

Rangiku looked down. She couldn’t take the emotions going through his eyes. “That’s it. He’s not going to do it to protect me. If Gin wanted to protect me, he wouldn’t have watched. He wouldn’t have taken photos. He wouldn’t have told those men to have their fun or encouraged them,” she said, yanking down the high neck of her shirt. “Since Friday, I’ve had to deal with this and I’ve been scared out of my mind, Shuhei. Do you think I want to be his slave? Do you think I want to be his whore? I only wanted to be with you. Do you really want me now? I can’t turn him in because he didn’t do it. He’s not the one who raped me. Three of his lackeys did. I just want this to go away and I just want to forget about it!” 

“I do want you.” He let that sink in first.

“Really? Are you just saying that because poor little Rangiku got attacked?” She let out a choked sob and shook her head. “I feel worthless, Shu.”

“I know you do. I can see it all over your face. But believe me. You’re not. And if you want to turn him in, I will fight for you. If you want this all to go away and stay here in wherever the fuck we are… I’m sure people eat baked goods here. But Ran, you don’t have to prove anything to me. I know you would never choose this.” He sounded hopeful.

Rangiku gave him a smile. “I got my house in order it’s just wrecked at the moment. I need time. You don’t want to be a baker. You’re happiest when you’re singing. I know this, Shu. I’m happiest where I can be just another pretty face.”

He smiled at her. He could do this. “If time is what you need, you can have it. And FYI, you have never been _just_ another pretty face. You’re more beautiful than anyone I’ve ever seen. _Including_ my mom.”

She let out a laugh. It was a tear-stained laugh but she was kind of smiling. “You’re so full of shit. You worship the ground she walks on. She’s a good mom. She’s a beautiful woman. I saw her once.”

“I know!” His response was surprisingly upbeat. “She told me! She also said you were very pretty and that I should say hi to Miss Boobs. She’s not that eloquent.”

The comment about Miss Boobs made Rangiku cross her arms over her chest and step away from him a bit. That nauseous feeling came back. “Well, if when you talk to her, tell her hello,” she sniffled. “We were supposed to be doing our thing tonight. We were supposed to have our first V Day today.”

He took a deep breath and tried not to look too disappointed. “I know. Well, we can still go as friends. We can bring Ivan along if it would make you feel more comfortable. Or Isane. She’s sitting all by her lonesome, and she is a bit dull, but she’s kind. Or…” He took another deep breath. She was not feeling his ideas, he could tell. “You can wait till Mr. Boner is done and then steal his wife for awhile. She is good at listening.”

Rangiku shook her head. She didn’t want to be around Ulquiorra and his bad attitude or Orihime and her mothering ways. It was comforting, but right now she was angry at her situation. She had a future planned out and Gin blew it up. “You and I can do something. We can drag someone along if you want. I just don’t want to be alone. I’ve spent the past few days alone--no, scratch that, I’ve spent the past couple of years alone and I don’t want that anymore.”

“Okay. What do you want to do? We could start with taking Prinny around. She’s a nice distraction. You could talk to her while I look up shit to do in Nebraska. Because if it’s anything like where I grew up… uh… I hope you like Applebees.”

“What’s an Applebee’s?” Rangiku said with a smile. She could do this. She knew there wasn’t shit to do in the midwest. Sit and stare at things, drive around, walk around. It was boring. She reached down and grabbed Princess’ leash. The dog looked at her. “We could watch a movie; I can behave.”

He bit his lip. “You don’t have to. But a movie sounds great. Do you want to watch it on the bus, or what?”

The blonde nodded. This wasn’t the time to take Shuhei into a hotel room. “The bus sounds great. We can take her for a walk, maybe find somewhere to eat and then--”

“There you fucking are!” Ulquiorra yelled, running up to them. “Jesus fucking christ Ran! You could have said that you were leaving!”

Princess lunged at her master, snarling. 

“Dude!” Shuhei barked as well, grabbing the leash so Rangiku wouldn’t get dragged and Ulquiorra wouldn’t get mauled. “Circumstances!”

Ulquiorra held his hands up to show Princess he didn’t mean any harm and stayed where he was. “Prin, it’s okay. It’s just Daddy. I’m not gonna hurt anyone,” he said looking at the big animal and then to Rangiku. “What happened to not seeing him and not talking to him?”

“I’m a big girl. I grew a spine and pulled up my panties. It was killing me to be this close to him and not see him.” Rangiku said.

“You could have left a text.”

“I was fine, Ulquiorra. I’m with my--my--” Rangiku looked at Shuhei. “I’m with Shu. I’m okay with him. I’m better than okay with him.”

Shuhei looked at the other man and pursed his lips, taking a deep breath. He didn’t believe Rangiku either, but what was he going to do about it?

Whatever she damn well asked, is what he decided. “Ulquiorra, thanks for looking out for her. I’m going to take her out and we’re going to relax tonight. So go ahead and take Heemz out on the town and don’t worry about it, okay?”

Ulquiorra gave a nod and backed up several paces. “Ran?”

She had to put on a brave face. “I’m fine. I know why I came to you this morning. I needed Shu the most.”

As soon as Ulquiorra was far enough away, Rangiku blew out a breath. She turned away from Shuhei and tried to keep her breathing calm.

“You okay? You want to go lie down in the bus?” he asked, giving her her space.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. I just… I want to be normal again,” she replied. 

He nodded. “Okay. We’ll walk. We’ll eat something. We’ll watch something easy. You’ll sleep. Tomorrow you can think about what you want to do then. Come on,” he didn’t wait for her response, taking the leash from her and walking away at a moderate pace. “She only goes for a bit until she finds a nice spot to do her business.”

Rangiku followed behind him several paces. He was taking this rather well. Maybe too well. Maybe in a couple of days Shuhei would realize what trash she was. She didn’t want to be like the stories she heard other people talk about after things like this happened. She didn’t want to become closed off. She didn’t want to recoil at his touch. “Shuhei? Are you doing okay?”

“Me? I’m fucking livid. But I’ll get past it.”

“We don’t have to do anything or go anywhere,” she said to him. “If you just want to sit in the bus and chill we can.”

“I do want to do that, but I also want to take my girl out for pie. I think there’s a Baker’s Square near here. Do you like french silk?”

“I like anything with chocolate. I like sweets. Can’t eat a lot of them because I’d have to spend time in the gym,” she said. “I had a large Coke today. That’s a lot of calories.”

“Yeah. Well, fuck.” He couldn’t think. He couldn’t argue with her. It was just enough to not think about his own feelings and try to focus on hers. “They probably have salad.”

Rangiku came up to his side and put her hand on his shoulder. She didn’t know why she was comforting him. “Fuck the calories. I deserve it. I’ve been through hell. We’ve been through hell. Also salad? Ewww unless it’s accompanied by a steak and potatoes, no.”

A laugh that was a bit hollow answered. “Well, they probably have that, too. I don’t know. I haven’t been to one of those since I was sixteen. But for real. You deserve it.” Why was she saying that _they_ had been through hell? He hadn’t been there. No one had violated him. Why was she looking at him through the same lens as herself? It didn’t make sense to him.

She took a step back from him. Maybe she was wrong about him handling this well. “You know what, I’m not feeling all that good to be honest,” Rangiku said, looking away from him. “I’m not even dressed to go out.”

“Really, Ran? We’re in Omaha,” he said, looking her up and down. “You look great. But if you want I can go pick something up and you can eat if you get hungry later.”

“No, it’s fine. Really. I just need sleep.”

He was starting to lose patience. She was giving him whiplash with how fast her position was flip-flopping. “Okay. I’ll walk the dog. Go lie down. I’ll meet you?” He gave her an open expression. She was either going to listen to him or stab him in the gut. He was a big boy. He could take either or, but he was tired of this.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea? I mean it seems like you’re two minutes away from losing it. I’m trying to hold myself together. I’m not asking you to fuck me or love me. I’m asking for you to be my friend, Shu. I know you’re mad but I don’t know what about. I don’t know why you’re mad,” Rangiku said. “I wanted you to hold me. I want you to tell me everything is going to be okay. If we don’t sort this out now, it’ll be harder after you get back to Los Angeles.”

He gave her a withering look. “Ran. Do I look angry to you? Because I don’t think you think so. I’m not angry. I’m not mad. I’m not _following_ you. You’re running very hot and cold right now, and it’s hard for me to keep up,” he said, a bit high-handed. “I’ve been trying to be your friend and comfort you but you’re denying every suggestion I make. You tell me what you want and we will do it, but let’s not play mental musical chairs. I’m not good at it.”

“You said you were livid. I--”

“Not at you,” he interrupted, pursing his lips and looking at her with that same, almost paternal, look on his face.

The blonde shook her head. She didn’t understand him. Of course she was having a hard time focusing her thoughts on just one thing and her mind kept jumping through hoops. “I’m going to lay down. I think I’m in room 494? I don’t know. I fell asleep in Orihime’s room. That was 492.”

“Okay. I’ll walk you to the lobby,” he replied. He said he would do what she wanted, and if this was what she wanted, okay.

Walking beside Shuhei, she couldn’t focus on how tall he was or how muscled he was. Those guys were a lot bigger. Still, she couldn’t help it as she started panicking a bit. Her breathing sped up and it felt like a vice was tightening on her chest. It felt like he was looking down on her. Like he was disappointed in her. What he said before about he didn’t share and how she needed to get things in order, did that not matter now? All she was asking for was time and maybe some reassurance from him. By the time they reached the door, she was almost wheezing.

“Ran,” he said quietly. “I want you to stay here with Prinny. She’ll take care of you. I’m going to step over here and call Orihime. I don’t think you should be alone, and you don’t want me around, so…”

“Bullshit,” she stammered. “If I don’t want you around now… how the fuck am I going to be able to live with you? But go, I can handle this on my own.”

“What do you want from me, Ran?! I’m offering you everything and you’re tossing it back at me. Then I say okay, have space, and you’re telling me I’m abandoning you. I don’t know what to do!” 

Apparently when Shuhei Hisagi cracked, he cracked wide open. The fear on his face was plain, and Princess was acting restless and prancing around.

Had he not heard her? Was he not listening? There was a lot of talking and speaking but it seemed like their words weren’t being heard. “Shuhei, I want you. I want everything from you. I want what you promised me. This happened, though. I don’t know what to do. This was a mistake. I should have never sought you out.”

With that Rangiku turned and entered the hotel. She didn’t bother with the elevator. It would have taken to long and this panic attack was nipping at her heels. It came when she reached the fourth floor landing of the stairs. She had to dig her phone out of her purse, dialing Ulquiorra’s number.   
  


“What now?”

“Stairs. Come. Please,” she gasped.


	42. Chapter 42

Shuhei  _ was _ livid. He took Princess for a quick jog around the parking lot, bitching at her as she took her time doing her business, and then made tracks back to the bus, slamming the leash down after he let the dog go. “Ivan!”

“What?”

“You want to go get drunk?”

“Yeah, okay.”

***

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime and then the blonde woman who was passed out. He had to give her some allergy medicine to knock her out and keep her calm. He told Rangiku that it was stuff for a headache. “This is wonderful. I’m probably not going to be able to go to Omaha with you,” he said with a frown.

“We are  _ in _ Omaha,” she said, looking at him like he was nuts.

“Whatever. Your next show. I’m probably going to have to take  _ her  _ back to LA. Thanks Ran, you once again have--” Ulquiorra shut up, seeing the look on his wife’s face.

“We can ask her what she wants to do tomorrow. Maybe she wants to stay out of LA. Maybe she wants to go back. Don’t worry about it until you talk to her,” Orihime sighed. She recognized what Rangiku was going through. The difference between them was that while Orihime had just been a depressed, mopey monkey who slowly came around after multiple rounds of post-traumatic stress sleep episodes, Rangiku was alternating between acting fine and acting broken. It was likely that she was not handling what happened to her at all, just mentally running from it. “I hope she goes back with you, though. She needs to talk to someone. Your new doctor is good, right? Otherwise I can call Dr. Tristan.”

“You mean the quack who gave you sleeping pills and then you drank alcohol with it? Rangiku will not talk to anyone. She can’t be seen going into a shrink’s office. That’s why she was talking to me,” Ulquiorra replied. “But with her being almost hysterical like that, I think she doesn’t need to be around Shuhei, and Princess sees me as a threat to her.”

Orihime sighed. She was sure Shuhei probably was not taking it well either. “Did you get all Chandler Bing and intense? Princess misinterprets that sometimes as aggression.”

Ulquiorra gave Orihime an unimpressed stare. “I ran up to them, and I yelled,” he admitted.

Orihime raised her brows and smiled. “Well, that’ll do it.”

“I could leave her with you and take Princess home.”

“Then she’s around Shuhei. And what about her job? She can’t just leave it, I’m sure. We still have another six weeks on the road. I don’t know. Let’s worry about it tomorrow. We can’t make these decisions for her, right?”

Ulquiorra sighed. “You couldn’t decide on things for weeks. You jumped at every noise. I don’t know, Orihime. She isn’t mine to help. I helped you, you’re mine.”

“I agree. You can’t help her the way you helped me. She might fall in love with you, and we can’t have that,” she said with a small chuckle. “The difference here is that we were desperately in love with each other and she’s like, your former nemesis. Also, she’s not willing to face what happened. I’m not saying she has to, but what worked for me isn’t going to work for her. I’m not sure what to do. We have to talk to her. Maybe we should do it together, like an intervention.”

“Do you think that will work?” he asked. “I wish her and Shu would get their heads out of their asses and just talk and listen. Jeez. I sound like you from like three years ago.”

She smiled widely and squeezed him around the waist. “You do,” she said, giggling. “And I have no idea if talking to her is going to work, but we have to try. As far as she and Shu goes…” She sighed heavily and walked into the adjoining room, not wanting to be in front of Rangiku for this chat, just in case.

Ulquiorra followed his wife and closed the door. “She’s out, she’s not going to hear.”

“I’d rather not take the chance. She doesn’t need anything else on her plate,” she said and then sat on the bed. “I think they are looking at their “relationship”,” she said, using air quotes, “through very different lenses. From what he says on the bus, they are just starting to get to know each other. From what she’s said recently, they’re soul mates. It’s not good.”

“You mean she feels more for him than he does for her? Shit. That’s gonna be a shock when she finds out,” Ulquiorra replied.

“Tell me about it. Hurts like a son of a bitch,” she said, looking at him pointedly. “But I don’t know if she feels more for him than he does, I just know that he’s more balanced about it and she seems to just jump all in without looking at things long term. He, um, he seems like he wants to be with her but knows that they have a long way to go. That’s what I think, anyway.”

Ulquiorra’s mouth turned down at the corners at her comment, deciding to let it go. Their relationship was not the one on the line. He knew that he and Orihime had traveled their road for a long time to come out where they were now. They still had miles and years to travel it. “Maybe we should ask Hailey if she can stay at their home. They have more room than we do. Have you tried pushing her to talk about it?”

“No, I asked her if she wanted to, and she told me some things. It was really awful, Ulquiorra. She was so pitiful when she told me. What worries me the most is that she took a nap and came out acting like everything was fine and went to find Shu. She had just been telling me that he would never accept her and everything was ruined. I don’t know, but it seems like she’s oscillating too fast. I worry about having her around Lorelei if she’s unstable.” Orihime looked at the floor and bit at the side of her finger. “You might be the best bet, I’m sorry to say. I mean, I don’t think anyone would expect you to take care of her the way you took care of me; and based on today’s interactions, I don’t think she’d let you. But maybe just having a safe place to be with someone who isn’t going to badger her is what she needs?” She sighed again. “This is…”

“What happened to me with N and N was nothing like your experience at the hands of Aizen. I have no clue what happened between Rangiku and Aizen. I don’t know how to relate to her. I understand you’ve got to stay here and do your thing. but,” Ulquiorra paused for a moment. “Hailey has dealt with this too. They could talk. All three of you could talk.”

“Yeah. That might be good. And maybe she’ll want to stay with me. I could just, I don’t know, ride along with Isane and Ran for the rest of the tour,” she did not like that idea at all. Being cramped in a tiny car and then performing for hours every night would burn her out quickly.

“We’re not getting anywhere. Just circling the drain with this. You’re right that we should talk to her before making decisions. There is no way in hell I’m going to be the one  _ healing  _ her.”

“Uh, no. You’re no Aerith.”

“Aerith is dead sexy, but dead.”

“Necrophiliac.”

***

“I don’t know what the fuck she wants from me, Ivan. I really don’t. She says I made her  _ promises _ . Promises! She’s making shit up as she goes along!” 

“You should really slow down, Shuhei,” Ichigo was no longer amused. He hadn’t been amused for hours now. “If you don’t stop, I’m leaving you here.”

“I mean, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I know she has been through some shit. It’s shit. I’m shitty. But I can’t… I can’t… Ivan. I can’t. I can’t remember what I was trying to say.”

“I’m calling us a cab. I’m not carrying your ass back to the bus.”

“I think Oliver has a secret crush on you, Ivan.”

“Okay you’re not just drunk, you’re a drunk fuckwit. But, I mean, have you seen me? Can’t blame a guy.”

“Dude. Have you ever seen Tremors?”

“Yes.”

“Would you. Shut. Up.”

“You’re on your own, Hisagi.”

***

Rangiku woke up the next morning feeling numb. She felt tired. She wanted to sleep forever. She wanted to go away from everything. She needed a break. Then she remembered.

A job. She had to work. She couldn’t rely on Gin and-- _Hiccup. Sniffle. Shaky breath._ Numb. Calming numbness is what she wanted and getting twelve hours of sleep would make that happen. Reaching her hand out, she tried to grab her phone but only succeeded in making it drop to the floor. 

“Shit.”

“So you’re awake,” Ulquiorra said.

Rangiku looked up at him with bleary eyes and shrugged. “I’m calling Jugo and I’m going to tell him I quit because this isn’t the life I wanted. I can’t go on television and drag people, not knowing whether my attackers are out there watching. After I call him, I’m going back to sleep. I don’t want to be awake.”

“Matsumoto, when I met you in 2019 you were a ballbuster. You were a woman that everyone wanted to be like. You had people afraid for their reputations--”

“And? Your point? I’m old. I’m tired. I’m tired of being this shallow bitch,” Rangiku sighed and turned over under the blankets so her back was to Ulquiorra. “Just leave me alone. I’ll make arrangements to go to New York. I’ll go to a community college. I’ll--”

“Have a pity party for yourself because you won’t talk to someone professionally about this. Orihime talked to someone. Hailey talked to someone.”

“I DON’T NEED ANYONE YOU FUCKFACE.”

Woah.

Ulquiorra stood up and walked over to the door that connected the rooms and stepped into the other area. Rangiku watched him leave. Good. She could go to sleep. If she acted controlled and minimized the event, it wouldn’t be a big deal. She could deal with this. Just be numb. 

In fact, Ulquiorra was a good role model in showing no emotion. Well, she knew she had the lifeless expression down. She could do the voice. It was more the hidden emotions inside of her that needed to die. Maybe she needed to take up day drinking or try drugs. That might help. She turned onto her stomach and pulled the blanket over her head. She was going back to sleep.

***

When Ulquiorra came back into the room where Orihime was, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. “That went about as poorly as possible. Jesus.”

Ulquiorra shrugged and flopped onto the bed. “I have no clue what to do now. I won’t sugarcoat things with her. She doesn’t need it.”

“Especially not from you. She’d see right through it. But let’s take a break from her for a moment, shall we? I meant to do something last night that I didn’t have a chance to do, and with everything going on, I feel like if I wait for the perfect moment, it will never come along,” she said as she walked toward the closet in the hotel room.

He lifted his head and watched his wife and raised an eyebrow. “Do you have some kinky surprise waiting for me? Do I get to fuck you again? I would have gone a second time had the teenage delinquent next door not run away.”

She chuckled. “You may have your way with me as much as possible until it’s time for me to sing. But that’s not this. You mentioned something you wanted for Christmas, but I couldn’t make it happen in time. I have it now, though, so happy belated Valentine’s Day,” she said, handing him a longish package.

Ulquiorra took it and looked at Orihime before eyeing the box. “And here I am sitting empty handed,” he joked as he opened the box to find a hard violin case. A bittersweet smile came over his face. “I was an idiot that night. If I had just listened to you and heard you, the Nemu thing wouldn’t have become an issue.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” She kissed his cheek. “Now you can make it up to me. Play me something?”

He opened the case and pulled the brand new violin and bow from the case. Someone had already prepared the bow. He could almost bet that Orihime had done the same thing he’d done with Shuhei’s guitar. He brought the instrument up to his shoulder and put his chin on the rest. “Does milady have a request? Or gentleman’s choice?”

“The gentleman has the floor,” she said with a little giggle. She was more interested in hearing the song that was in his heart at the moment than a particular tune that she liked.

He smiled. “I’m gonna try to play and sing at the same time, so if I fuck up, I’m sorry.”

Ulquiorra took a breath before he started playing soft melody, his fingers going over the strings as he dragged the bow against them. “ I can't count the times, I almost said what's on my mind. But I didn't…” The song didn’t fit their narrative, but Ulquiorra was feeling emotional and he felt like singing this song to Orihime. He wanted to sing it to her for a while. He played through the song until he got to the last hook, that’s when he stopped playing the violin and took the instrument away from his shoulder. “ Even though I don't tell you all the time, you had my heart a long, long time ago. Yeah you had my heart a long, long time ago. Mmm, in case you didn't know. ”

When he was done, Ulquiorra blushed and smiled at Orihime. “I can’t do pop-ish country. Not my forte.”

“I love you,” she whispered. She couldn’t speak with her voice; she had been moved to tears.

Putting the violin to the side, Ulquiorra gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Happy Valentine’s Day, but everyday I get with you is like Valentine’s day.”

“And here I told Rangiku that you weren’t very romantic. What a liar I am,” she said, kissing him back.

Ulquiorra was going to say something but he heard it. It was a whimper. Then it became louder. “Shit. She’s crying again,” he murmured.

“My turn?” Orihime asked, taking a bracing breath.

“Tag you’re it, no tap backs.”

***

Orihime walked into the room and didn’t say anything. She crawled into bed with Rangiku and put her arm over her waist and just laid there.

She was a fucking mess. Being a stone wall was easy when people weren’t using music to manipulate her emotions. Rangiku heard the song Ulquiorra was playing and with the melody of the whatever the hell he was playing, it was a beautiful experience. Then she remembered the song Shuhei had uploaded on YouTube and everything came crashing down.

Everything.

Every fucking wrong in her life came up from that dark pit of pain and took a shit on her. It didn’t stop as she felt someone embracing her. It didn’t stop as she turned to Orihime and buried her face into the woman’s neck. This was terrible. Feeling all this pain was fucking horrible. It stopped some time later. Rangiku wasn’t sure how much time had passed. She just laid there in Orihime’s arms. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Why are you sorry?” Orihime asked softly.

“For everything. For 2019 and onward. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for ruining your holiday. I’m sorry for crying on your shirt,” Rangiku sniffled.

Orihime nodded. “I accept your apology.” She paused a moment and then took a deep breath. “And I thank you. You saved my life.”

“I did?” Rangiku asked.

“Yes,” Orihime nodded. “Back in 2019? 2020? I forget the dates now, but that exposé… You took it seriously. I tried so many times to clear my name…” She didn’t know why she was telling her this. If anyone knew what she had done, she could be incriminated. “I was in Vancouver. I set up the mirror and sent it to you.”

Rangiku pulled away from Orihime. “That was you? Akon helped me. He sorted through everything and I read. I didn’t get sleep for days reading and looking over everything. I had others help, but I had to help, Orihime. I had to. This was someone’s life being ruined by Aizen and others. You know… When I saw the photos of what was supposed to be you and Byakuya, I went to him. I demanded to know what the hell he was doing.”

The blonde shook her head. It was just another notch in the bedpost. “He said that wasn’t him and I believed him. So I didn’t do a story on it although others picked up on it. I kept my mouth shut because I trust him. I only did what I could. Someone was drowning and I could throw a life preserver. I didn’t want to sit back and wait for Aizen to claim another victim. He still got to you though.”

“But he got his. And it’s in no small part thanks to your reporting. And your command of your team. And your connections and knowledge and grit. If it wasn’t already public knowledge what a creep Aizen was, thanks to you, he probably would have been exonerated. You know you do good work.”

“Sometimes. Other times not so much. I think my time being in the spotlight is over,” Rangiku said before she sat up with her back against the headboard.

“Do you want it to be?”

A shrug. “I’m just a pretty face with killer tits and a nice ass. I’m tired of it,” Rangiku replied, looking at her lap. “I think it might be for the best if I just fade away. People will forget about me.”

“I think we just established that you’re more than just a killer bod and a gorgeous face, Ran. And if obscurity is what you desire, then chase it with abandon,” Orihime said, sliding up to join Rangiku in a more vertical posture. “But if you’re acting like my husband, and wishing to hide away or whatever because you can’t see past your current hardship, then I’ll tell you the same thing I tell him.”

“I don’t know how to act. I want to be numb and push it away, and at the same time it grips me and I start panicking and crying. I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to see it. Last night was the longest I’ve slept since the tenth.” Rangiku sighed. “I just need to change everything about myself. Move, stop getting my nails done, color my hair, marry the first man who doesn’t know who I am and shows interest.”

“I want to slap you silly right now. You can’t run away from this. It’s always going to find you. You know it. It’s already doing it. Numb only works when you’re distracted. You can’t always distract yourself. Your body requires rest. Your brain requires rest. All these feelings are just chemicals in your brain that need to be flushed out with sleep and expression and tears, or else they will rot in there and turn you into a monster. Running away; changing who you are to try to escape; is only going to make things worse.”

Rangiku pulled her knees to her chest, hooking her arms around them. “I think I want the obscurity.”

“Okay. Then I will tell you what I tell him. Do it. Give it all up. We’ll still be here. But in a year or two, when you run out of shows on Netflix or get sick of trying new recipes or whatever else that blows your skirt up, are you still going to be happy being obscure? Think about it before you make your choice. There’s no rush.”

In a year, Shuhei would be happy with someone else. He’d be successful. If she stayed here, he probably would be happier without her around, nosing around in his business. Everyone who tried to compete with her on gossip would be happier. 

Something about her expression; something about her posture; something about her aura, tipped Orihime off about what Rangiku’s train of thought might be. “And if you’re thinking about how everyone else would react, or how they’d be without you, then you’re missing the point of this exercise. This isn’t about anybody else but you. You don’t get to decide how other people are going to be.”

“You’re right, but still. A lot of people would love to see me drop off the face of the earth. A lot of people would like to see me do that.”

“So?”

The blonde worried her lip with her teeth. All she felt right now was pain. She couldn’t focus again. She just kept worrying about leaving everything behind and starting over. She frowned. “I know you’re trying to help, but I’m the one who caused this. I didn’t see Gin for what he was. I made the choice to stay around him. It’s not my fault what happened, but it’s the consequences of my actions.”

“What do you think about Ulquiorra? What do you think about Nel? Do you think he deserves the success he has? Does he deserve my love?”

Rangiku felt like this was a trick question. She had already made up her mind. “He’s worked hard for it. Nel deserved what she got. I’m glad she’s not getting out of prison for a while.”

“Does he deserve my forgiveness? Does he deserve to forgive himself?”

“I don’t know, does he? He seems like he still beats himself up over what happened.”

“Sometimes he does. It’s a process. It’s work. But he is worth the work. He’s starting to accept that he is. He’s happier than he’s ever been. You are worth the work, Ran.”

Shuhei had said something like that last night. He--No. Rangiku couldn’t think of him right now. She had been stupid thinking that everything would be okay if she tried to force it. Her breathing started to speed up but the woman calmed herself down. Slow deep breaths. In and out. “Okay,” she said with a smile, not believing a word Orihime was saying. “I think--I think I want to go back to Los Angeles and get my stuff.”

Orihime wasn’t buying it. She’d seen enough of it from Ulquiorra, and frankly, from herself, to know that Ran was trying to get her to shut up. Still, in the end, it wasn’t her call. “What are you going to do with your stuff once you get it? Ulquiorra tells me your cat is with his dad?”

“Ash and I can live in my car until I figure something out. I can stay at the studio. I’m resourceful. I can think of something.”

Orihime smiled at her. “I like your attitude. However, you could just crash at our house until you figure something out. It’s going to be mostly empty for six weeks. That should be plenty of time to find an apartment, don’t you think? And it beats having to give yourself sponge baths, yuck.”

“Maybe, but I don’t want to be reminded of Shu. Thanks for the offer though,” Rangiku said.

“You might not have a choice, there. I don’t know how he’s feeling today… I got a text that suggests this might be the worst show of his life. But he was beside himself. He doesn’t know how to deal with what’s going on with you. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to. He just doesn’t know how.”

The other woman looked at the redhead. “Well I hope it goes well for him. I’m always going to cheer for him. I’m just not going to be in his life to do it,” Rangiku sniffled. Her eyes were filling with tears again. “He’ll do a great job. And he doesn’t have to deal with this. Only I have to.”

“Ah, but that is where you are mistaken. He cares. So whether or not you let him deal with you, he has to deal with this. So far he’s not dealing very well. Look,” she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket, and showing a text from Ichigo. It was a picture of Shuhei with Princess, lying together on the sofa in the bus, with a bucket next to his head. He had captioned it, “Tell your sad sack of shit loverboy that his girlfriend has opposable thumbs and isn’t at the bottom of a bottle of tequila. It smells like agave and ass in here.”

Her mouth formed a thin line and Rangiku huffed. “I guess that’s a step up from corset wearing hookers,” she said. “That proves nothing.”

“You dug that up, huh? Well if it helps, she wasn’t a hooker. Just a lounge singer looking for a one-nighter and comped tickets to my show.”

“Like I said, it proves nothing. He was probably drinking because I make him crazy and he doesn’t understand me. We talk at each other but not to each other. No one gets heard and we each twist the other’s words to meet the narrative. I’m not good for him,” Rangiku sighed. “I want to be. I want to have the kind of relationship you have with Ulquiorra with him. We were on our way there, but I fucked up. I fucked up big time but there’s nothing I can do to fix this. My house is going to be wrecked until I have the time to fix it, and that may take a couple years from now.”

“I think you’re exactly right; he was drinking because he doesn’t know what else to do. He never drinks, really. Hearing what you went through must be killing him. I’m sure he wants to help you and panicked because he doesn’t know what to do. That doesn’t make you good or not good for each other. The not listening thing is no good though. If you want it to work you’ll both need to work on that. Still, Ulquiorra and I have difficulties all the time. We’re seeing a couples’ counselor, for god’s sakes. And as far as fuck ups go… Everyone does it. Like our counselor says, a relationship is just two people deciding to be together. Everything else is just the day to day. Whether it’s worth it is up to you. ...Or something like that, it sounds better when he says it.”

Rangiku listened to Orihime’s words and then shrugged. “Yeah, well, I can’t do it. I’ll cheer for Shu. I’ll buy his music. I’ll root for him. I’ll do it anonymously. Someone else can be what he needs.” 

Orihime nodded. “Okay. I’ll let him know your decision.”

“It’s really none of his business. However, if he wants to know, he can ask me himself.”

“Why bother with all that messy nonsense? You already have your mind made up. May as well make it a clean break, right?” she smiled sweetly.

Her mouth opened and then shut. Rangiku almost… ALMOST fell for it. She was going to say her previous sentence again but she found her voice saying the words, “Fine, what should I do? Go down there and kiss him? Declare how much I care for him although he won’t believe me? He doesn’t feel the same as I do. I make him crazy. I am delusional. I am a fucking bitch or whatever he muttered that day.”

“Be patient. Have faith. Hate me for saying this, I don’t give a fuck.” Orihime giggled at her own language before continuing. “Give him time to process this. You need to focus on your own recovery, so I’m not going to suggest you spend a moment coddling him or worrying about how he’s dealing with it, but give him some time to deal with it. It’s a great blow to learn that someone you love has been hurt so badly.”

Orihime's mood fell slightly as her eyes drifted toward the door to her own room. “It was not easy for him, after Aizen. It wasn’t smooth. I needed to focus on myself, and he tried to focus on me, but ultimately, it made him have his own set of feelings to deal with and it didn’t always mesh. But we didn’t walk away from each other. After he was able to understand how he felt he was my champion. But… It didn’t come easily.”

Rangiku smiled. “Right. I’ll remember that.” She desperately wanted to tell Orihime to tell Shu that after his show. After she was gone. If she was going to focus on herself and deal with this, she couldn’t be reminded of Shu. She couldn’t think about him. She would reinvent herself; work harder to be a better version.

***

The show that night  _ was _ rocky. Shu had to perform most of his songs seated and he sounded poor. After the show was over, Orihime took him to the side and told him that Rangiku didn’t want to be reminded of him.

“Fine.” Shuhei went back to his dressing room and drank some more.

It began to be a pattern, but he began to get better at it. He’d do the shows. He’d drink a six pack and pass out, and then do it again the next day. When he was lucky, he’d have a few days off in a row to slow down and enjoy his buzz. He found comfort there. He didn’t have to think about whatever was bothering him. He could just strum a guitar and sing a tune and pretend she meant anything she ever said to him. He could pretend she let him buy her pie. He could pretend she didn’t let him agonize over whether she was doing alright. He could pretend that she was still at home, wearing her Tremors t-shirt and singing along quietly to the Backstreet Boys. 

Because when the buzz stopped, so did the fantasy. He didn’t know who he was singing to anymore.


	43. Chapter 43

The moment Rangiku stepped into Los Angeles again, she remembered Orihime's words. She needed rest. She needed to relax. She couldn't run away. She took her suitcases and her cat from Ulquiorra and put them in the car. She was back two nights later, crying at the gate. She couldn't handle being alone. 

So, at two a.m., Ulquiorra let her into the house. Ash was put into the guest room, Rangiku sat on the couch while she cried, and Ulquiorra chewed on the side of his thumbnail. Eventually, she fell asleep.

But what was sleep anymore? She would scream in the middle of the night. Ulquiorra gave her a baby monitor. He would talk to through the device to Rangiku.

“I am tired of listening to your shit, Lady.”

“Orihime would scream and I’d run up the stairs. I’m not running up the damn stairs at four in the morning.”

“Why is your cat sleeping on my bed?”

“I’m going to drown you in the pool.”

She would talk back to him. Mostly nonsense. A lot of times she woke up with chattering teeth and laying next to King. He was a good dog. After about three weeks of living there, Rangiku was walking through the network’s offices and ran into a man. It was an accident. She was busy reading some report that Jugo handed her about ratings or something. Shinji was more into this stuff than her.

“Sorry,” she said sidestepping the body.

“You’re Rangiku Matsumoto,” the voice replied. “You’re looking good.”

She glanced up and raised an eyebrow. No she wasn’t. She had gotten a haircut, nothing major. Rangiku started working out more and eating better. She subscribed to Ulquiorra’s work out routine of running on the wet sand of the beach and then doing squats. It fucking sucked, but her legs were stronger. She began to look at her finances and asked Jon Cifer for advice on a budget. She figured if the man had run his own business, he could crunch numbers.

She was being smart.

When Bazz Black addressed her, she blew him off. He followed. “Can I take you to dinner?” he asked.

“Nope. I don’t date.”

“Friendly lunch?”

“You’re not a friend.”

“Rough sex in the back of your car?”

“Tch. I don’t have sex,” Rangiku said, smiling. “However, if I deem you worthy, you may text me.”

He accepted her business card which had her phone number on it. Rangiku wished him good day. Bazz was a persistent guy. They went from texting buddies to phone call buddies, and every time he steered the topic to sex, Rangiku shut him the fuck down.

She wasn’t having it.

She didn’t want it.

At least not with him.

It was probably a week before Orihime’s tour was about to end when she accepted a lunch date. Bazz was a complete gentleman. He was charming if a bit rough around the edges with his language and tone. It was fun.

Rangiku had a smile on her face when she came home that night after work. Ulquiorra was on the phone with Orihime.

“She’s fucking smiling like a spaz,” he said, looking out of the kitchen door at the woman who waved at him and went into her room. He didn’t even realize that Ash had jumped onto the counter or that he was petting the feline.

“Oh? Well that’s a pleasant surprise. She find a new boy to fawn over? Are we going to have to adopt him, too?” Orihime asked with a chuckle. She was well over the Shu/Ran ship. As far as she was concerned, it had sailed off into the sunset.

“Nah, she’s still talking to Bazz. He keeps asking to meet him at night or for dinner and she still says no. The other day I heard him talking to her. She hasn’t given it up to him yet,” Ulquiorra said. He stopped petting the cat and she meowed loudly. “She’s getting better. Only woke me up four times this week. Still won’t go talk to the doctor though.”

“Well, you can lead a horse to water…” Orihime sighed. Her tour was wrapping up in less than two weeks and she couldn’t wait to be back home. “Has she made any indication that she was looking for a new place?”

Ulquiorra sighed. “We’ve tried, and the moment I leave, she freaks out. I give her privacy to look over the apartments and the next minute she’s crying. I told her that this wasn’t normal and that when you got back, you were gonna boot her ass to the curb. She has been helping out with food and stuff. She’s saving money.”

“Well that’s nice. And I’m not going to boot her out, but if she gets clingy around you I might have to cut a bitch,” Orihime chuckled. “The only thing I’ll do though that might seem… not cruel, but maybe uncaring, is I’m not going to make any exceptions or give her special preference over Shu. It’s his home too, for as long as he needs it. I don’t want him feeling unwelcome when we get there. I hope she realizes that he’s coming back, too.”

Another, heavier sigh. Ulquiorra had to get up from the table and walk outside. He went down to his studio. “Veggs, she is fucking dreading it. I see her sitting in front of his door with King and she’s talking to him? The door? She keeps listening to his music and his YouTube. So while she might be enjoying having a friend, she misses Shu. She keeps assuring me that everything will be fine come April first. She’ll be out of our hair then, she says. I don’t know. She’s acting… odd for Rangiku.”

Ulquiorra paused and then said, “Oh, she prefers you over me because I’m too bony to cling to.”

“Do I need to cut you, too?” she growled.

“Why? I squirt her with Ash’s spray bottle when she clings to my arm.”

Orihime took a deep, slow, almost menacing inhalation through her nostrils. “Six months. Six months was all it took for you to forget the green demon that lives within my soul. You will rue the day that you awoke Jelly McAngry, Ulquiorra Cifer.”

“Woman. Please, the day you come home I am going to wear my collar out in public. I can’t wait for you to get home. I miss you. I miss the dog. I love you.”

“Hmpf.”

“Orihime, I don’t know how much clearer I need to be. Ran is a troll compared to you. She’s crazier than you. She needs help, and all I do is mock and troll her all day long,” he stated.

“A lot of people ship that garbage, just sayin’,” she replied flippantly.

He wanted to bang his head against the stucco wall of the studio. “Do you want me to kick her out now? Do you want me to completely tear her down while on the phone with you? Jesus, I love you.”

“No, I just want you to be prepared for me making you come so loudly that the neighbors cover their children’s ears in fear of my animalistic display of dominance. I am the alpha female in that house. Let no one forget it.”

Oh, this was a surprise. “Well, well, well, Mrs Cifer. I look forward to it. You can fuck me as much as you want. You can tease me. But...”

“But what?”

“I hope your pussy is prepared for what I’m going to do to it. I’m going to go down on you. I’m going to have my fingers buried in you. I’m going to fuck you over and over until you can’t stand.”

“Maybe we should do it all over the house, too, just to make sure they _really_ notice.”

“Should I have a chandelier installed so we can swing from it?” Ulquiorra laughed.

“Nah, clashes with the interior design. A sex hammock will do just fine.”

He chuckled nervously. “Consider it done… Uh, speaking of the boy. How is he doing?”

Her playful mood was tempered at that thought. “Uh, not great. His drinking habit seems to have chilled out a bit. He hasn’t tried to bring any women back to the bus since that first time when he did all those shots of Jaegermeister. I caught him smoking, though. That was a holy war of epic proportions. Mostly, he just sticks to his bunk with the guitar and broods.”

“He does know what he’s coming home to, right?” Ulquiorra asked. “Pick, studio or bedroom?”

“Living room. On display. And yeah, he knows.”

“Lord. why don’t I fuck you outside again? On top of her car?”

“Bruh, I bought you the giant guitar floatie for a reason.”

“It’s obscenely huge. I guess we can but if we fall off...”

“So are you, my love.”

***

Ulquiorra was waiting for Orihime in the parking lot of Soul Society Music Group. He wasn’t happy. He had some news for his wife that he didn’t know how to deal with. Everything had been great, and then BOOM. The world took a crap on everything. As soon as Princess saw him, she took off running for him.

He listened to the big puppy whine and yip and boof. He got licks. Princess got pet pets and then he saw his wife. The biggest smile that his face could produce was there as he ran to her, scooping her up. “Woman,” he said.

“Dear god, I’ve missed you,” she said, even as she pressed her lips into his, not waiting for the words to come out. “I can’t want for you to fuck this bus out of me.”

“Hah, well you won’t have to wait long. I’m going to make love to you all night.”

“That’s fucking nice, now move it Ulq. I need to see someone,” Grimmjow growled.

Ichigo came off of the bus looking like a man lost in the desert, but at the flash of blue hair his head snapped up. Bags be damned, he hopped down the bus steps and nearly tackled his lover, punching him in the arm before cradling his head between a cage he made with his arms. “Never again,” was all he said before kissing the other man.

“Good. Now, before you embarrass me, our ladies are over there,” Grimmjow said to him, with a smile.

“GAG,” came the sound from Ulquiorra.

“Oh, come on, you know it’s adorable,” Shu said with a small smile, stretching on the bus steps as he watched Grimmjow and Ichigo hustle over to Hailey and a much bigger than he remembered Lorelei. “Is she sitting up?” he asked Ulquiorra as he picked up his guitar and duffel and walked toward the car.

“She does and falls over,” Ulquiorra said. “Ran says she’s a lovely baby. She likes Lore better than Evie.”

“Psst, everyone likes Lore better than Evie,” Orihime whispered.

Shuhei smirked at her then looked at Ulquiorra. “How’s she been holding up?”

“Uh, well, she saw Gin yesterday and got the news she’s going to interview him,” Ulquiorra looked uncomfortable saying this. “She’s a fucking mess. She won’t leave her bed.”

“What kind of sick, sadistic bastard--” Orihime snarled, but she was interrupted.

“She’ll be fine,” Shuhei said with a nod. “She is a survivor.”

“I don’t know. She canceled her dinner date with Bazz. Told him she wasn’t ever going to have sex with him. She’s been emotional. I figured you could do your adopted Mom thing. She won’t even let Ash into the room.”

“...Yeah, I don’t know if you picked up on it, but she really didn’t like the adoptive mom thing. I mean, it was probably accurate in the way teenage girls thinly veil their contempt toward their mothers, but I don’t think it’s what she will be wanting at a time like this.”

Ulquiorra shrugged as they reached the car. He opened the trunk and put Orihime’s things in. “She needs someone right now. I tried to give her a hug and she’s like don’t touch me. I didn’t attempt it again. Maybe you could lie down with her? Yell at her?”

“Gotcha. I’ll see what I can do. Let’s just get home.”

Shu didn’t say anything as he loaded his stuff and Princess into the car and got into the back with the dog.

***

Rangiku heard the car. She heard the howls, the barking, Ash hissing, and Princess’ strange BOOF. She turned her back towards the door of the bedroom she was laying in and looked out the full length windows.

Orihime was home. That was a good thing. 

Ulquiorra wouldn’t be so moody.

That also meant Shuhei was home.

Also a good thing.

Not a good thing for her.

When she got Jugo’s memo that she would be interviewing Gin Ichimaru inside of his Beverly Hills mansion, she freaked out. She panicked and then he came up to her and shook her hand. He acted like everything was okay and before he left he whispered into her ear.

“My boys say hello.”

She had rushed home as fast as she could, getting sick in the toilet and taking several hot showers, trying to get clean. She couldn’t erase those feelings. She had been doing so good shoving down everything and now it was all bubbling back to the surface. She had to listen to Dr. Zommari. One day at a time. If she couldn’t do that, one hour at a time.

Right now she was only surviving five minutes at a time. She sighed, seeing the three dogs run through the yard. She liked this place. She liked the view of the ocean. She wanted to be part of the Malibu crowd. 

Rangiku hated the people in this state.

Bazz only cared about how he looked with her. He joked around with her about sex. She had to firmly tell him no. She wasn’t interested. Gin didn’t care about her. Accutrone didn’t care about her.

Her breathing sped up again as another attack started squeezing at her lungs. This wasn’t good. She couldn’t be screaming.

***

Ulquiorra heard her. “Dammit. You know what? I’ve been dealing with her for six weeks, someone else’s turn. And Orihime can’t do it because I need to talk to her.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Orihime raised a brow at Shuhei. She was impressed.

“Yeah. Let me just…” he didn’t explain anymore. He went to the fridge and got a bottle of water and then walked over to where he heard the other woman having a mental breakdown.

Orihime looked at her husband. “Do you think it’s alright?”

“Just beam her in the head with the water; it’ll knock her out.” Ulquiorra replied with a straight face.

“Lord, no wonder she is in a state.”

Shuhei ignored them. He knocked on Rangiku’s door once and then opened it.

He sat on the foot of the bed.

“I brought you some water,” he said, looking at her knees.

Rangiku nodded her head. She sat up, taking the bottle from him, crossing her legs. “Sorry. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to go there.”

The woman looked at Shuhei with red-rimmed eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Gin. You don’t have to go. You don’t have to do it.” There was a brief pause and he looked up at her face. “I don’t want you to do it.”

He didn’t want her to do it? How did he--Oh, Ulq must have told him. “Do you have a reason why other than the obvious, creepy asshole vibe he has going on?” Rangiku tried to laugh but it came out weird and awkward. “How are you? Your shows sounded good. I watched them on YouTube. I’m still cheering.”

“Shut up, Rangiku. Don’t go. Don’t go because you deserve to heal. Don’t go because you’re better than him. Don’t go because I love who you are and I don’t want to see that destroyed. Do. Not. Go.”

She blinked. She opened her mouth. She shut it. Then Rangiku had a reaction. Her eyes filled with tears. Here he was--No, this wasn’t a promise. This was just him talking big. That was all. She couldn’t ignore his words though. _Don’t go because I love who you are_ … “Thank you Shuhei.” Rangiku didn’t stop crying though. She kept wiping tears off her cheeks. She wanted to reach out to him and hold his hand or crawl into his lap. “I--Never mind. I’m glad that you’re home.”

He did not smile or laugh or anything like that. He acknowledged her sentiment with a nod and then stood up. He contemplated doing what his heart told him to do. He stared at her as he thought about it. “Do you like beef?”

What the fuck? That’s not what he meant to say.

Rangiku looked at him before laughing. “Well, it depends,” she said. “Are you cooking?”

“Yes. Are you eating?”

The woman swallowed. “Are we talking about actual food or us? Because I don’t want to make another analogy and get lost in it,” she said. “Because...”

“Right now I am talking about actual beef. But the beef is symbolic in that it nourishes and comforts. Read into that as you will. Don’t go.”

“Yes, I am eating then.”

Then he smiled. “Good. Drink the water and dry your eyes and then come out and help me run defense against the pornbots in the kitchen. I’m thinking of sending Ulq grocery shopping,” he chuckled dubiously. “Unless you want to get out of the house.”

“He won’t go. I’ve already heard him say he’s staying in today and ordering food,” Rangiku said. “I want to go, but I don’t want to go by myself.” She did has he said and look a sip of water.

He gave her a sarcastic glare. “Nobody is suggesting you go yourself. Come meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes and I’ll take you shopping and you can learn how to make Shuhei Hisagi’s famous secret recipe hot Italian beef.”

Her eyebrows rose and she gave a nod. “Okay, I will. Welcome home, Shu,” Rangiku said with a small smile.

He smiled back and tapped at an imaginary wristwatch. “Ten minutes,” he repeated, backing out of the door. 

He walked into the kitchen, expecting it to be empty, but was instead greeted by two pairs of wide, surprised eyes.

“How did you do that?” Orihime asked.

“Dude, it takes me hours to get her to calm down. And there is screaming,” Ulquiorra said.

“That is because you are an antagonist, Ulq. I am a nurturing bastard. I offer water and beef. Are you guys gonna eat some?”

Orihime grinned, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, make enough for leftovers.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. He didn’t want to make the joke that was on the tip of his tongue but he had no restraint. “I bet you did offer her beef. Should have offered her sausage too,” he replied.

Shuhei scoffed. “I don’t think she’s in the mood for sausage, dude. But anyway, I, uh… I told her not to do the show.”

Orihime was again shocked, her brows held high and her eyes shifting between her husband and Shu. “Is she going to listen, do you think?”

It was then Rangiku walked into the kitchen wearing a T-shirt under some kind of one piece overall thing. She had on no makeup and her hair was in a ponytail. “I just told Jugo I quit,” she said with a smile. 

Shuhei couldn’t help it. She looked so cute how she was dressed and with her hair like that. She looked so unsure but hopeful at her own words. He was so proud of her. He rushed over to where she stood and hooked his arms under hers, picking her up and spinning her around half a circle, then giving her a tight hug. “Oh, you don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that,” he said after setting her down and smiling at her. He stepped away before she could react and walked to the grocery list pad before anything could get awkward.

Rangiku was shocked. He had hugged her. He was proud of her. Her face turned red. “Thanks. Don’t worry, I’ve got some other stuff lined up to make money, so I’m not mooching. I promised you April first and I’m going to stick to it.”

Orihime’s eyes darted to Shuhei with a worried glint and then back to Rangiku, then frowned and whined, “But I just got back!! I wanted to hang out with _girls_ at the pool and go shopping and never see another video game again! Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“Ran, no, I said you could stay. You’re still waking up at night,” Ulquiorra chimed in. “You’re welcome here. You’re like the little sister I never wanted or the teenage daughter that is a practice run for the real thing. You can stay.”

The blonde woman put her hands in the pockets of the outfit she was wearing and rocked back on her heels. “Are you sure?” She was mostly addressing one person in the room more than the actual homeowners. 

Shuhei turned his head to face her and smiled. “Yeah. I have a lot of new recipes and songs that need to be tested out. I need you here, Ran,” he said.

Her face turned redder and she looked down at the floor. “Okay. I’m going to go wait outside,” she said, turning around and going out the front door.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime. “There may be something there that wasn’t there before,” he half sang in her ear.

She scoffed and grabbed his ass. “C’mon Lumiere, I believe you have a hammock to show me that wasn’t there before.”

The green eyed man laughed like a horrible French character. “Does my little feather duster need attention? Have fun Shu. Give us, like, an hour.”

He smirked and ripped his list off the pad. “Have at it, pornbots.” 

Ulquiorra didn’t need to be told twice. He threw Orihime over his shoulder and took off for their bedroom. 

She shrieked with glee and called out, “Maybe make it two hours!”

Shuhei shook his head and chuckled, gathering his keys and wallet. It was good to be home. It was good to be done with the tour. It was good to see Orihime and Ulquiorra in such a good place.

It was good to see her.

He stepped outside and shielded his eyes against the sun until they found her. “So, new things lined up? Tell me,” he said, putting an elbow on her shoulder as he walked her down the driveway to his car. “I want to know what I have to compete with for your time.”

“It’s Ran. I’m thinking about going back to that, but Jugo--Wait. Compete with for my time?” Rangiku looked at Shuhei with a puzzled look.

“Yeah, I’m really, really free. I have no plans. Well, I kind of want to casually harass you. Also I want to halfheartedly look for a new place. Oh and I want my mom to visit, although that might take an act of God. So… I guess what I’m saying is I want to know how much availability you anticipate to have for harassment purposes.”

Rangiku’s smile was brilliant but she didn’t get excited or jump around or even attempt at touching him. “I would like that. Um, Jugo wants to turn It’s Ran into a reality show that follows me around and shows me talking to celebrities and other YouTube stars. He says the Kardashians aren’t, um, aren’t demographically relevant. They aren’t normal people and they’re getting old. I told him I’d think about it. I’m thinking about just fading into the background and seeing what it’s like to slum around. Sell my stuff, buy a better car.”

“Good options all around. I think you should take a couple weeks and kick it around, maybe have me follow you and Heemz around while you shop with a camera. It’ll be like a practice run, plus get you used to me stalking you.” He chuckled as he got into the car. “I’m really glad to be home.” He said, looking at her fondly when she sat in the passenger seat.

“I’m really glad you’re home too,” Rangiku said. She reached over and picked up his hand, squeezing it. “Why just half-heartedly find a place?”

“I’m not ready to leave the nest. Especially now that you’re here. I missed you, Ran. I’ve been missing you the entire time I was on tour. It’s a hard life. It’s unnatural. I don’t know how Ulq and Hime do it.”

She was melting in her seat. Shuhei was saying all the right stuff. Words that she wanted to hear; words that were fanning a flame she had tried to keep contained. 

“Plus, I think it might be wise to have our _parents_ around to supervise. I’d like to take you out, Ran. I’d like to date you for real. I think having mom and dad around will help us pace ourselves.”

“Yeah, but I have to warn you. The last guy I dated had to wait five weeks for a lunch date. Give me your best pick up line and I’ll see if you’re worthy. Gotta make me laugh,” Rangiku said with a smile. There were tears in her eyes but they were happy ones.

“Uh, Okay, uh,” he was floundering and panicked. “Nice shoes, wanna fuck?”

Not his best effort. He laughed at himself and shook his head. “Told you I’m a loser.”

She squeezed his hand again. “You’re my loser, Shuhei.”

“Okay, time for beef!”


	44. Chapter 44

The thing with doing a reality show was the fact that there were cameras everywhere. Ulquiorra wasn’t having it. He mostly stayed out of the way when they were filming. Thankfully it was only a five episode run to present to the network. Ran had explained this to him. She had explained it to all of them.

If _It’s Ran!_ the television show didn’t pan out, Rangiku didn’t know what she was going to do. “I could become a stylist,” she told Orihime one afternoon as they stopped to get lunch after doing some window shopping. “Are you excited to see Ulq around Soul Society? You can talk to him whenever you want at work.”

“You know, it will be nice, but I don’t mind having a bit of separation during the day. Makes the reunion sweet. But… I don’t mind giving it up. He’s just so much happier. He’s almost unrecognizable.”

Rangiku smiled at the other woman. Living with the Cifers was good for her. Being around Orihime was good for her. “He’s a good guy. Violent at times, but a good guy,” she joked. “I’m kidding. Thank you for everything you two have done for me.”

“It’s the least we can do, Rangiku. You didn’t know it at the time, but without you. there would be no us.” Orihime sighed and took a sip of iced tea. “Anyway, tell me about you and Shu. How’s it going?”

“It’s going. He texts me. He smiles at me. He makes me feel like I’m the only person on the planet until Princess comes along and sticks her nose between us. She’s like having a nanny; a huge furry nanny,” Rangiku said. “I about melted at his words when he came home. He’s just--just--” She was getting emotional just talking about the guy. “We’re friends. I can tell him things. I love hearing about his day.”

Orihime smiled. “So… I have to ask. Has he tried making the moves yet? Are you even ready for that?”

That made Rangiku blush. She shook her head. “I think he knows I’m not ready for it. The most we’ve done is cuddled on the couch. I have to be patient too. It’s hard for me sometime, because he does this little grin and I want to just push him up against something and kiss him.” She sighed, sounding dazzled and in love. “He’s a really great guy. I’m glad you passed on him.”

Orihime smiled. “You know, I almost didn’t. I saw all the things in him that you see. I just had already given my heart to Ulquiorra; I can’t even…” she had to look away, getting emotional at the memory. “I have a good idea,” she announced suddenly.

“Oh? What?”

“When you feel ready, you and I are going to get dolled up. You can play stylist. Well go out and have a girls’ night, have a cocktail, and then come home and drive those stinky boys crazy.”

The blonde smiled. “I don’t know about driving them crazy, but we can certainly do that,” she said. “Since it’s getting warmer, I was thinking about getting some of my bikinis out of storage, but I don’t know if I should or just buy a once piece suit. I want to go swimming.”

“You could just wait ‘til Ulquiorra pulls Shu into the office and skinny dip. That’s what I usually do,” she said as if this was not an interesting admission.

Shaking her head, Rangiku took a sip of her white wine. “No, I can’t do that. Do you know how many times I was yelled at by  _ Dad  _ to put on real clothes? He couldn’t deal with my workout gear.”

Orihime's lips thinned for a moment. “He is not supposed to notice things like that,” she commented and took another sip. 

“I have no interest in him, Orihime. Really,” Rangiku said. “You’re his entire world. I wish...” She sighed, then smiled. “I’d like a girls’ night out.”

Orihime nodded. She didn’t care so much if Ran had or didn’t have an interest in her husband. She was used to women swooning over him. That wasn't the point. “We’ll do it soon.” She took another sip and muttered, “This tea is delicious.”

Rangiku smiled. “So what’s on the books for you besides a break?”

“An image campaign. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Mila Rose and her merry band of copycat vloggers have been saying I look dowdy and irrelevant.” Orihime was seething.

“I’ve noticed. They’ve also been saying stuff about me. Mila has been doing veiled Instagram posts. She’s been taking photos from her new apartment in Los Angeles. The view outside of her balcony doors is very recognizable. I can only guess she’s Gin’s new woman. I wish her luck. You’re not dowdy or irrelevant.”

Orihime tsked and sneered. “I know! Still… You know how it is in this town. I need you, Ran. I can’t just be “former OIV-frontman’s wife”. Vega Highwell needs an overhaul. I need gal pals and… Do you dance?”

The blonde nodded. “A makeover?” she said smiling broadly. “A GLOW UP! Yes! I can put you in touch with a lot of industry people who are the best. They can teach you what they taught me. Except nails. I can’t paint my nails by myself.”

Orihime's brows twitched. It felt like Rangiku was getting carried away, and once again missing the point. “Well, some new clothes and makeup can be step one, but what I really want to do is spam IG with pics of us and sometimes the boys having fun and being glamorous. We can take a girls’ trip. We can do couples massages,” she laughed. “I want to do a new single; I want to collaborate with Yachiru and I want to have a sexy, girl-power music video to go with it. You can be in it and we can dance and look fabulous. Then maybe Mr. Cifer will put down the Xbox controller for more than ten minutes.”

“Take the power cord away,” Rangiku said. She had done that a couple of times to Ulquiorra while Orihime was gone. He bitched and complained but it was nice to hear someone talk. “He watches you constantly. It’s cute. You two are couple goals. You have fun, lots of sex, and the dogs.”

“Maybe. But it would be nice if he tried to woo me once in awhile. He’s become  _ too _ comfortable.”

“Shake things up then. Wow him. Make him beg for it. Leave the house in a bodycon minidress and high strappy heels,” Rangiku said. She didn’t dress up too much anymore. When she went out she put on mascara and lip gloss but she didn’t bother with full “battle armor” as Shuhei had put it. “Oh, you could get drunk and come home telling him what he’s gonna do.”

Orihime blushed. She didn’t tell Rangiku about her sex life beyond the brief flirtation the other woman heard between her and her husband in the kitchen. She didn’t know about his collar or bad habits. “It’s not the sex that’s lacking, Ran,” she said quietly.

“Romance? You did say he wasn’t the most romantic person in the world. You could make him jealous. We could cuddle up to each other and tell him he has to go cuddle Shuhei or the dogs and watch chick flicks. Mud masks!”

Orihime snorted as she tried not to spit out her tea. “Oh my god, Ran. I would pay to see that. But yeah, maybe he needs to be reminded, just like everyone else, apparently, that I’m worthy of attention, and I’ll take it where I can get it.”

“Then Operation Get My Husband Off His Ass is a go.”

***

“Dude, it’s like eleven-thirty. Don’t you want to get dressed or something?” Shuhei asked as he walked through the living room and saw Ulquiorra still on the couch.

The green-eyed rockstar shrugged. “What’s the point? I’m not going anywhere today. I’m relaxing. I’m taking time out for myself. What’s on your plate today? Gonna moon over the non-paying roommate?”

“No, she’s taking your wife out on a date,” Shu said, going into the fridge and getting stuff out for lunch. “I’m thinking about going to the gym later. Wanna come?”

Ulquiorra didn’t hear him right. He couldn’t have heard him right. “They’re going shopping and having lunch again? How many times is that this week?”

“Let’s see… it’s Thursday? So if you count Sunday brunch that makes three. No, four.”

“Wait...Four shopping trips in a week seems… excessive.” Ulquiorra said and put down the controller, standing up. “Wait, you said Rangiku is taking my wife on a date? Like a date, date? Like wine, fancy dinner and cheap hotels?”

Shuhei shrugged and stood up with a chunk of bread hanging out of his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before answering, “I don’t know. That’s what they’re calling it on Instagram.”

His eyes narrowed and Ulquiorra fished his phone out of the pocket of his sweats. Sure enough, there were photos of Orihime and Rangiku all over the place. It looked like damn date. Rangiku looked entirely too focused on his wife. “What the fuck?” he growled.

Again, the thought of two hot women together was a nice image, but Ulquiorra would just appreciate it more if it wasn’t his wife and Rangiku Matsumoto. “Okay, I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be back up here and dressed. Then I’m going to find my wife.”

He walked away from Shuhei and went downstairs typing out a text on his phone.

-Woman, what is this?

They were at La Perla again when she got his text. It was not specific.

  * What’s What? Did you mean to send a picture or something?



She slipped her phone back into her pocket with a shrug and went back to browsing.

Tch. Pause. Another tch. Ulquiorra was trying not to lose his cool. That was _his_ wife. Why was she having four lunch dates with Rangiku?

\- Um you and Ran? Shu just pointed it out to me so what the fuck? Why is she looking at you like that?

She rolled her eyes.

  * that’s what people do when they are listening. It’s called conversation?



A frown came over his face. 

-do I not talk to you enough? I’m taking a shower. I’m getting dressed and then I’m going to find you. I only date my wife. No one else.

She blushed. Damn it he knew how to make her feel guilty and turned on at the same time. She decided to take a picture of her face like that at the lingerie store.

  * Okay, well, here’s a hint.



Ulquiorra took note of the La Perla store and took a quick shower before throwing on jeans and a t-shirt. He didn’t even bother Shuhei with saying anything. He was out the door. Traffic for once was good to him as he zoomed to the closest location of the high end lingerie store.

-which one are you at? I will scour this entire city for you. My wife. Not Ran’s. Mine.

“Oh shit,” Orihime murmured. “You might want to take my car, Ran,” she said, showing her the text.

Rangiku’s eyebrows shot up as she looked at the texts. “Oh boy. So I take it I can’t gaze lovingly into your eyes over a nice cup of coffee?” she asked with a giggle. “He sounds serious.’”

“He sounds irrational. If you want to see this, feel free, but just in case you need to make a hasty escape,” she said and passed her keys to the blonde, then texted,

  * the one I always go to.



“Are you sure? I mean… Will you be okay?” Rangiku asked. She heard the store’s door open and her eyes widened. “Um, Hime?”

“Yes?”

“Woman.” Ulquiorra spotted Rangiku so he went through the racks of lacy thrills. He stood behind Orihime, feeling wild; jealous; territorial.

She turned around slowly and looked up into his face. “Hi Ernie,” she said in a small, careful voice.

He didn’t say anything. Ulquiorra looked at his wife before taking a step towards her, then another. His hands came out to her waist and pulled her close. “Are you done shopping? Because if you want to go on a date, I have plans for us. After all, I did miss Valentine’s Day.”

She was glad she had given Rangiku the keys, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to tear her attention away from him. If she hadn’t, she would probably have stranded the poor woman. Orihime’s arms rose to reach around the back of Ulq’s neck and she answered in a shaky breath, “I’m ready when you are.”

Ulquiorra looked at Rangiku with a serious expression. “My wife. Get your own. There’s a perfectly good man at our house who loves the fuck out of you. Go get him.” The green eyed man gentled his tone before he turned his attention back to his wife. “Do I need to pay for anything?” he asked Orihime. 

She shook her head. She and Rangiku had just been killing time.

Rangiku watched as the couple left the store and sighed once they were gone. Ulquiorra was wrong. Shu and she were just friends. They’d probably be friends forever. Maybe she should call him. After all, she was in the city all alone. She didn’t want to bother him. She took her phone out of her purse and tapped on his name before leaving the store.

The blonde had been window shopping. Since Gin’s money stopped and she stopped doing The Rumor Mill, her income had gone way down. She couldn’t afford the things or the lifestyle that she previously could. Oh well, she was happier being almost broke. She was surrounded by people who cared about her and she cared about them.

“Hey Ran,” Shu answered, panting.

“Hey, are you busy? I can call back. I’m--I’ve been ditched. Orihime was kind of swept away by Ulquiorra. I just need someone to talk to me while I get back home,” she said, chewing on her bottom lip. He sounded… winded.

“Oh no, are you stranded? Do I need to come rescue you?”

She laughed. “No, as much as I would love for that to happen, I have Orihime’s car keys. I just don’t want to get panicky when driving home. I was thinking… Maybe we could go for a swim or maybe a run on the beach later or maybe whenever you’re free soon.” Rangiku knew if she kept talking to him, it would be okay. She could keep calm.

“Well, I’m finishing my run now,” he said, still huffing and puffing as he spoke. “But a swim sounds delightful. I’m free all day.”

“Can you talk to me and run at the same time?” She didn’t know why relief ran down her spine. Well, she did know. When he answered, she thought that maybe he was with someone. She squirmed for a moment before walking towards Orihime’s car. She didn’t need that mental image.

Shuhei got off the treadmill and huffed out a breath, grabbing a towel and wiping the machine where he had held on. “It would be great to chat. I’m gonna stretch. Tell me about what happened with mom and dad. He left here like a bat out of hell.”

Rangiku shook her head as she reached the car and unlocked the doors. She had picked up a nervous habit of looking around before slipping into the car and relocking it before pushing the button to start it. Maybe Rangiku would sell her BMW and get a nice car like this. “Um, he came in there like that. All growly and told me to get my own wife or that there was this perfectly good man at home. He said some other stuff about you and then almost threw her over his shoulder and walked out.”

“Aww, he thinks I’m perfect,” Shu teased. “He’s a dumbass. Anyway, I meant to ask you, what  _ are _ you and Heemz doing going out so much lately? Plotting our deaths? Because I don’t have very good life insurance, I’ll tell you upfront,” he said and chuckled.

“She wanted to be taken out on dates and romanced because Ulquiorra won’t get off his ass. I took her out on dates and I showed her attention and I treated her how I would want to be treated,” Rangiku explained. She grinned. “But we were enacting Operation Kick Husband In Ass. Ulquiorra is constantly playing games, which is okay. I get it that hobbies are a thing. But Orihime feels neglected, so I cheered her up. We’re thinking about getting dolled up and going to a club. That means I have to look through my storage unit for the perfect mini dress and some killer heels. Maybe some skimpy undies. Panty lines are the worst.”

A shiver went through the man as he imagined what she was telling him. “I agree,” he said in a rumbly breath. “I’ll allow you two to get all silly only if I get to wear a suit and sunglasses and pretend to be your bodyguard. There will be no funny business.” He chuckled but he was serious about that.

She grinned. “I also have to stop by the storage place to get a bikini or a swimsuit. And what kind of funny business? A girl needs a night out to shake her ass sometimes and just let go.”

“I mean no handsy lookie-loos or whatever. I don’t want to have to break any arms, but I might. I don’t mind watching you shake your ass, though.”

“Oooh, my strong man. You know what happens in that movie don’t you?” she teased. Rangiku let out a sigh. He was obviously flirting with her. Maybe she should flirt back. How would he take it? “I wouldn’t mind shaking my ass on you.”

As soon as she said it, her face turned red.

“Heh,” the singular chuckle was loaded with lustful thoughts. “Maybe I need to take you out dancing for real, this time.”

“Yeah?” she said squirming in the driverseat. “I’d like that. All those bodies bumping and grinding. The beat of the music...” A shiver went through her. “That would be good unless it’s like ballroom dancing. I can’t dance just like I can’t sing.” 

“If that’s what you think, you’ve never had a good partner before. Someone who can lead will not let you stumble. But, maybe we save ballroom for later. I have a feeling we can kill two birds with one stone with the regular dancing.”

Rangiku had to calm her tits. She was breathing heavily. She was squirming in her seat. Patience. Focus. “If we bring Orihime and Ulquiorra, I could dance with her like that. I’m sure Ulquiorra would definitely pay attention to Orihime then.”

“Clever girl,” he replied. “This is all contingent on him not knocking her up today, though. Dude has bad baby fever.”

A laugh came out and she decided she had sat in the car long enough. It was time to drive home. She plugged the phone in and put the call through the car’s audio system and pulled into traffic. “Other people’s babies are cute. He’s around Lore so much I can see why he would have baby fever. Orihime seems on the fence about it.”

“They _are_ really  young.”

“But they have three adopted kids who are well over the age of eighteen.”

“I’m not saying they shouldn’t or couldn’t, I just get why she might want to wait.”

“Yeah,” Rangiku said, unsure why Shu was talking about this. “I want to wait. Actually, I don’t know if I want kids. I’m pretty much jobless and depending on others unless the network picks up the show. Not a good situation to be in. How about you? How many kids do you want? Do you want kids?”

“Yeah. I want a few kids. I like the idea of a nice cozy unit with mini-mes driving me and my wife nuts. No big rush, though;, kinda have this whole music thing that just started,” he said with a fond voice. “Anyway, back to dancing, do you know any places? Obviously I don’t. Maybe we can ride high on this fire under Ulq’s ass and get them to come out with us this weekend. Ooh, we can hire a limo driver and be super fancy. What do you think?”

She was trying to wrack her brain thinking of places they could go that Ulquiorra would approve of while also ignoring Shuhei’s words. Wife? She’d be happy for her, whomever he picked. He might flirt with her, but Rangiku wasn’t wife material. “We could invite Grimm, Ichigo, and Hailey along, too. I could ask Bazz. He offered to take me out to a couple of places. I’ll give him a call before I go to bed tonight.”

“Oh, um, Okay.” He tried not to sigh. Had he struck out with her? It sure sounded like it. His stomach felt heavy. It was fine though, right? They were only friends. “Well, how far out are you?” He didn’t want to be on the phone anymore.

“Uh, well, I’m about twelve minutes from the storage place... Shu, are you okay?” Rangiku asked, trying not to focus too much on his voice. She was still driving after all.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I, uh, just don’t want to get into a spot where I lose reception until you’re back,” he fibbed.

Oh. That made sense, she guessed. “Well I’m much calmer now. I can let you go and call you when I’m close to home?”

“Nah,” he said. “I’m not in a rush.”

Rangiku was silent for several moments. “Shu?”

“Yeah?”

She took a deep b reath. Seeing how Ulquiorra and Orihime were, and their relationship, made her want the same thing for herself. Ulq and Hime were couple goals. Everyone in Los Angeles who had a bad relationship should look at them and take notes. Rangiku was about to open her mouth and stay something stupid. She had to wait. “Any requests on bikinis or dresses?”

“Hmm.” Immediately his mind went back to the first time he met her. “White,” he said, affection seeping into his voice.

She pulled into the storage facility and the gate clanked shut behind her. “Nothing red?” Rangiku said. She pulled into a parking spot, glad that she had enough sense to do one of those indoor warehouses that was climate controlled.

“Nah, it’s not my favorite color anymore. Heemz wears it all the time, so now it makes me feel like I should shut up and go clean my room,” he said with a chuckle.

“How about pink?”

He perked up. “What kind of pink are we talking about?”

“You never got the chance to see all my clothes or my shoes or my bags,” Rangiku said with a laugh.

“Something tells me I would have to ask my boss off from work for a few days to get through it,” he chuckled.

“I mean it’s not bad. I just have a huge storage unit to hold it all. It’s coordinated by seasons. I have a huge spring and summer wardrobe. I should go through this all because I know I don’t wear a lot of it. But pinks… Hmmm. Baby pink, rose, blush, peach, coral, hot pink...”

“Hmm, send me a selfie in good lighting?” he said as if he was making an assessment.

Rangiku smiled as she unlocked the door of her unit and walked in. She flipped on the light and her face lit up at what she saw. Rows of portable closets, neatly labeled with what they had in them. “We should talk about...You don’t want me calling Bazz do you?”

“We can talk about this after you send me the selfie. I don’t want to get distracted from pink. I don’t need you wearing it; I just need to see your skin tone.”

She shook her head and walked through the rows until she reached the summer minidress closet. She unzipped it and looked through it, pulling out every white dress she could find which wasn’t much. She also pulled out some of the pink ones. “Do you want me to grab any of… of my lingerie?” She might as well start this conversation although it sounded like he didn’t want to talk about it.

“You do you, baby girl,” he cringed at using the pet name. He hadn’t used it in an intimate way, though. She was ignoring what he was saying and not cooperating today. He gave up. “Anyway about Bazz, he’s your friend, right? I don’t know him. As long as he is nice to you I don’t mind if you call him.” 

That was a blatant lie. Of course he minded But he needed to be supportive, and the more friends Rangiku had would be better for her.

Her face fell but she kept her tone light. She had to wonder if he even cared about her like that. Orihime was silly. Shuhei wasn’t going to make a move. “I offered,” she said. “Let’s see… swim suits, swim--Ah ha.” All she did was pick up the small tote that had her bikinis in it and then walked over to where she knew some of her lingerie was packed away. She had to rummage through the tote and pulled out some items. 

She offered? She  _ offered? _ “What is it that you’re offering, Ran?” He wasn’t going to play games. If she was going to try to bait him, he was going to bite. Hard.

“Well I mean, I thought we were flirting. I offer to shake my ass on you. Jesus, Shuhei,” she said.

“Flirting and dancing aren’t done naked, Ran. You know that. Don’t dangle things in front of me if you’re not serious about going there. It’s not nice,” he said, not quite as sharp as he was thinking it. Not at all as sharp. He sounded like he was ribbing her. He was not.

Dangle? He thought she was teasing him? She huffed. “I’m not dangling anything. What the hell do I have to do to get you to touch me? I want to be close to you again.”

He sighed. “You have to not flinch,” he said, with an uncharacteristic heaviness.

Oh, so he had noticed that. She tried to control it, but it happened with everyone. “Oh,” she breathed. Rangiku stopped what she was doing and stood up. It didn’t make sense to drag out her lingerie when it was clear she wasn’t ready. It was the hormones talking. “Right. Okay. I’m gonna let you go because I have to carry this stuff with two hands. I’ll be back in hopefully twenty minutes.”

“Okay. Call me if you need me. I’m around,” he said, then hung up. He got in his car and drove the ten minutes home from the gym, and when he got in the house he stopped by the front hall mirror and looked at himself. He was a decent-looking guy, right? He wasn’t threatening. He sighed. Maybe he should lose some bulk. Maybe his mass, which wasn’t too big to begin with, was still too much for her. He didn’t know. He needed a shower. He brought his phone into the bathroom just in case and hopped in.

***

Rangiku was locking the door of the unit when she heard someone in the hallway. She was minding her business. She wasn’t talking to anyone. 

So why the hell did she hear a man say, “Hello my persimmon.”


	45. Chapter 45

Ulquiorra fell back on to the hotel bed with a smile on his face. He had done it all. He bought four dozen roses this time. He had chocolates and wine and a room service dinner and candles. The room had a jacuzzi in it.

He knew he had slacked off, but having Rangiku around, who stared at Shuhei with huge puppy dog eyes, and Shuhei trying to handle the blonde with kid gloves… It was tiring. He felt like he couldn’t be as loving as he normally was around Orihime. Then there was the fact he didn’t know what the fuck he was doing musically and he was constantly over at Ivan’s when not playing a video game or in the studio.

So yeah, he had been ignoring his wife for a bit.

He wasn’t done with her though. That was just orgasm number one for him. He sat up and scooted down to the foot of the bed and grabbed her ankle, picking it up and massaging it. “Well, do you still feel the need to date Ran?”

“Who? Date? Huh?” she had her eyes closed and a huge smile on her face. She could let him do this all night.

“Were you really feeling that neglected, Vega?” Ulquiorra asked as he switched ankles. “Why didn’t you say something to me instead of posting pics to Instagram?”

She pouted a bit before answering. “I didn’t want to have to beg for your attention. I wanted you to want to give it to me,” she said, her voice slightly childish.

Ulquiorra moved his hands up her calves and back down. He kept doing this for several seconds. “You always have my attention. When you walk into the room--I know it’s not the same, but you have your own stuff going on. I’m lost, but you have my attention. You always have it. You know how to get it. All you have to do is smile at me, or laugh, or be your gorgeous self.”

He was making her pout bigger and tugged at her heartstrings. “You feel lost? I thought you were just taking a break to regroup. Can I help you?”

He nodded, stopped fondling her legs, and laid next to Orihime. “I’m lost. I thought I could be the same act without the Obscuras. I don’t know if the name change needs a genre change or an image change. I don’t know what to do and Nan is busy behind the scenes. I don’t know who to ask for help since I have my own manager. I feel like I can’t go directly to the people at Soul Society.”

“I know you’re not used to it because your old record company sucked a barrel of donkey schlongs, but most of the people at Soul Society really do want you to succeed and are there to lend you support, but more than that, you have me. You have Shu. You even have Grimmjow. Anyone of us would be glad to help you. Especially me. This is an exciting time! You can do whatever you want.” She opened her eyes and held her arms out to him, pulling on his shoulder so that she could hold him.

Ulquiorra rolled back on top of her and put his head on her chest. “So you think I should attempt the whole country schtick?” he said looking up at her, teasing.

“Ulquiorra, I love you so, so, soooooo much. But please, never, ever, wear a cowboy hat,” she said and laughed, bouncing his head on her chest. “Seriously though, I know it’s overwhelming to look out onto a sea of possibility and not know which direction to set sail towards, but it’s like college. If you don’t know, take a blind stab. The worst that can happen is you scrap a song and try something else. You’ll have learned what you don’t want. It’s a good experience.”

“I want to record with you again. I’d like to record with Shu. Maybe all three of us can do something. Grimm’s doing his own shit and trying to get Ichigo on board with some techno, classical fusion bullshit,” Ulquiorra said. He sighed. “Speaking of those who can’t sing… Have you heard Rangiku singing when she thinks she’s home alone?”

“Oh,” Orihime cringed. “It’s sweet,” she said as diplomatically as possible.

He laughed. “I give her a four for the heartfelt sentiment, but Russian judge gives her two. What about Hailey? Does she still sing?”

“I’m sure she sings a lot to Lore. I know pregnancy changes your voice, so she’d probably have to reacquaint herself with her instrument, but she had a very pretty voice. I’m really surprised Grimmjow never asked her to do vocals for him. It would work well with what he does.”

“I still remember those songs you did with him.”

“Yeah?” she asked, obviously fishing for comment.

“I just remember them. How beautiful you sounded. How… otherworldly you sounded,” Ulquiorra said. “Do we need a contract to collab? I know how it worked at Espada.”

“Um, California is a community property state. We share a pocket, so it doesn’t matter how we do it. If you want to collab with Shu you have to come to an agreement about how to split the income for a song, but it’s a simple contract unless you want to complicate it. If you’re just going for a fifty-fifty percentage or something, legal can draw it up in an hour.”

He shrugged and snuggled closer to her. “Does this and the rest of the night make up for being a toad? Do you want me to make this a monthly or bi-monthy thing?”

“Please,” she sighed. “At least on a semi-regular basis. And you weren’t a toad. You were just reminding me of the fart twins on the tour bus.”

“I don’t--I’m nothing like those two. I have brain cells. I’m married. I’m hot.”

“Oh ho ho ho! Someone’s been into his DMs, hasn’t he?” she said with a huge grin on her face. “What are the girls saying these days? OIV is dead to me? Give me more IV? I bet Ulquiorra Cifer is hung like a horse? Hmm?” she teased him.

He snorted with a laugh. “Sadly, no. It’s mostly thirsty bitches who want me to show them the D, porn bots and people who want to talk business ops.”

She hummed in contentment and brushed his hair with her fingers. “Bitches don’t know who they’re dealing with. I’d bury them all.” Her voice was deceptively sweet as she said it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my psychotic wife.” He looked up at her again and smiled. “I love you. I’m sorry you had to resort to dating Rangiku. Is she at least a good stand in partner?”

“She’s just a nice friend who’s a girl. Our “dates” are mostly us talking about fashion and you guys. Oh…” She remembered something that Ran had said after one lunch when she had a carafe of wine instead of a glass. “Did you know you can make dildos in the mold of your partner’s D, to borrow your word?”

Ulquiorra sat up and looked at her. “You want to make a mold of mine? But why?”

“Our FaceTime sessions would be more lifelike, if you ever went on tour without me or whatever. Or, you know, if you get too lazy or get sucked into video games again…” she started to giggle.

The green-eyed man let out low growl. “Woman, do you know how hot that sounds? Watching you pleasure yourself with--Hnnngh. That shouldn’t be hot, but damn, it is.”

She giggled again. “Next date night?”

“Fuck yeah.”

***

Rangiku listened, her eyes focused on Gin’s loafers. He tried touching her arm and Rangiku jerked away from him. She grabbed her things and walked down to where Orihime’s car was parked. He must have had someone following her. She thought she was seeing him around more. She’d attempt to drive her car somewhere and see a flash of that snake smile and she’d break down. 

He told her what he wanted done.

“I’ve got an important client that I need entertained. How do you feel about Dubai?”

Silence.

“He could come here, but it would be such a hassle.”

Silence.

“Rangiku, don’t make me force my hand with this. I can destroy you. All I have to do is tell Mila to pull the trigger. All those photos. All those text messages. There’s even videos of you. Everything.”

Once she reached the car, she just threw the dresses and the tote into the back seat, not caring if they spilled or wrinkled. She had to get out of there. She needed to leave. 

She almost got into several accidents while driving to Malibu. Her eyes filled with tears and she only let them out once she reached the gates of the Cifer home. She sat in the driveway and cried for a good ten minutes, trying to breathe. 

It was amazing how all that progress she had made in such a short time was now gone. She was just Rangiku the whore. Rangiku the sugar baby. Rangiku who got paid eight grand a week. She was more than that. She was more than the broken person everyone treated her as. She wasn’t a bitch. She wasn’t crazy. She was one of those people who needed someone.

Another ten minutes passed by as she sat in Orihime’s car, rocking back and forth trying to stop the anger and the madness that was building in her chest. Zommari said this was normal. She would have days like this. She just didn’t want it to happen today when Shuhei had already rejected her. He had let her down gently, but still, it stung.

Shuhei was dressed and getting worried. She should have been home. She should have called. He walked out into the living room and saw all the dogs staring out the front window. “What is it, guys?” he asked, walking to where they stood. Then he saw her.

“Oh no,” he said, dashing to the door and flinging it open. He didn’t stop until he was at Orihime’s car. He pulled the door open and grabbed the trembling woman without saying anything. He put an arm behind her back and another under her knees and carried her into the house, straight to his room. It was the only one with the door open. 

He carefully laid her down and sat beside her, cupping her cheek and staring, trying to assess any damage. After nearly a minute, he asked quietly, “What happened, Ran?” 

“Gin. He wants me to entertain some of his friends,” she replied in a whisper, looking everywhere but him. “He wants me to go somewhere and entertain them.”

“Did he hurt you, Ran? I need to know,” he said, voice still soft but serious.

Her head shook back and forth. “No, he touched me. He talked to me. He called me his persimmon. He followed me to the place. He--he--” She was starting to cry again.

“No. No. You’re not his. Ran, you’re not his. You are your own. You are my sweet girl. You don’t belong to him. I won’t let him hurt you, Ran. You’re not going anywhere. Not without me. Not until… You’re just not.”

He was making some big declarations that wouldn’t come to life, but it was a nice image for five minutes. She wasn’t Shuhei’s. Rangiku nodded and sat up, swinging her legs off the side of the bed. “Thanks. I’m going to shower and then try to sleep. I don’t care what time it is. I just want sleep.”

“Would it be okay if I sat in there with you while you slept? I can be quiet. I have headphones.”

“Can you unzip the back of my dress?”

He nodded and walked on his knees on the bed until he was behind her. He laid his hands flat on the tops of her shoulders first, giving a tiny squeeze, before one hand located the zipper pull and began to lower it. It caught at one point around her bra strap and he had to pull it up and down a few times before it would go down the rest of the way. When it was all the way down, he leaned forward and kissed the top of her shoulder that didn’t have his hand on it. “I promise you, Ran. I’ll do everything I can.”

Yeah, she flinched at his initial touch, but she was fine with what he was doing after that. She didn’t flinch as she felt his mouth move against her shoulder. “Don’t dangle things in front of me that I can’t have,” she murmured.

“I would never do that to you, Ran,” he whispered, his lips just behind her ear.

“Do you think I would do that to you?”

He smiled. “You used to. I’m not sure if you would anymore.” His arms came around the front of her chest, staying high and avoiding her breasts, so that he could pull her against his chest. “I am willing to sacrifice my pride to make you feel safe, though.”

She let out a breath. “You shouldn’t do that, though. I’m not worth it Shu. I know you say that I am worth it, but I’m not worth the trouble. He’s just--It’s a mind fuck. He’s playing games with my head to see if I’m going to crack.”

He turned his body slightly, pulling her shoulders to the side so he could see her face. “One, you don’t get to decide what you are worth to someone else. I decide what you mean to me. Not you. Two… I don’t want to make you more afraid than you are, but this might be more than just a mind fuck. He’s proven that he will hurt you. I am not willing to bet on the theory that this is a mind game. He’s a bad, bad guy. I watched your Mayuri interview. The more I know about Gin Ichimaru, the more I believe that guy. I don’t want you to be alone, Rangiku.”

Another sigh. Rangiku carefully moved away from Shuhei and put some space between them. His sweet words and what he was saying… They were confusing her. They were making her want to give into him. That’s not what they needed. He needed more time. Then again…

She brought her hands up and slipped the shoulder of the sheath dress off it and then did the same thing to the other side, letting the fabric drop until it was a puddle around her feet. She was probably going to get rejected so hard that her head would spin. It was okay.

She knew the bruises were gone. They’d been gone for a while. “Will you hold me?”

He said nothing, but pulled the blankets of his bed back and climbed back into it, giving her space to lie. “Come here,” he said softly, taking one of her hands and giving a soft pull.

To say the least, she was surprised. She had expected him to laugh at her or say no but here he was trying to make her comfortable and wrapping his arms around her. When they had been laying there for a few minutes, a funny thought struck Rangiku. She started laughing.

“Something amusing?” he asked after she went on for a few moments.

“This--ha-This is not the--hee--the introduction to your bed I wanted but I’ll--heehee--I’ll take it,” came the reply.

Shuhei frowned. “Listen lady, you can laugh at my bed all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re in it and nearly naked. I take that as a win, so hush it, you. Points for technicality!” 

She snuggled closer to him, inadvertently wiggling her hips against him and closed her eyes. “I’ll allow it, Shu.”

He chuckled. “Good, because I was gonna take it anyway. And be careful. I may not be Mr. Boner downstairs, but I’m still male. Behave yourself or you may be probed. Accidentally, of course,” he said, thinking he was pretty funny.

“Pffft,” she said. “Just don’t wake me up.” It was a flippant statement but she did another wiggle. “Shit. I left my dresses and the swimwear tote in Orihime’s car. Oh well.”

“What’s the worst that can happen? She swipes it? I bet you could just raid each other’s closets. Mostly,” he chuckled. “Her pants would be highwaters on you.”

Rangiku rolled over and faced him, burying her face in his chest, before throwing a leg over his hip. “My ass is bigger than hers. My boobs only slightly.”

“I have never compared the two of you that closely, but I have to say, Ran. Damn. You fine.”

“You should know. You’ve had your hands on me,” she said with her eyes still closed, sounding content. She was content. This was nice. Shuhei was warm. His breathing was calming. His body was solid. This was her safe haven. 

He closed his eyes. He felt relief flood his body as she settled in beside him, a relief he hadn’t felt since last summer. “My hands are on you now, Ran,” he murmured, his voice sounding a bit sleepy as his body relaxed, his fingers flexing a bit against her back to emphasize his point. “They missed you.”

“I missed you. I’ve missed them. You’re my best friend, Shu,” she said, then yawned, letting one of her arms drape over his side. She tried to ignore the little shiver of pleasure that went through her body at the touch of his hands.

“It’s an honor, Ran. Let’s get some rest.”

***

“Hey guys, Mila here. Welcome to another day in the City of Angels. Once again we’re going to be focusing on Orihime Cifer. Supposedly Soul Society Music Group has some of the best stylists in town. Why does she look like a nanny? She literally looks like she should be taking care of Ichigo Kurosaki’s baby.”

“She has that old lady vibe going on,” Appachi said.

“Speaking of the Kurosaki harem, there are reports that things are kind of rocky in that camp. Several reports say they’ve seen Rangiku Matsumoto walking in the place accompanied by Shuhei Hisagi and Ulquiorra Cifer. The former frontman for OIV has declined to comment on what he’s up to. I can tell you what he’s up to. He’s up to nothing.”

“We’ve gotten--”

Ulquiorra turned the video off and shook his head. Almost a week after their hotel room getaway and Mila Rose was stirring the shit pot with his name in it. “Woman?”

Orihime sat with her legs crossed and her arms over her chest, leg bouncing and lips pursed. “This is crap. This is trash. This--” She huffed and turned her head to the side. Mila had touched a nerve. She _was_ feeling frumpy and unattractive lately, ever since her tour finished. She had at first just been reveling in not having to wear extravagant costumes and tons of makeup, but apparently she had gone too far in the other direction. She shook her head and her complexion changed color. “Looks like your old buddy is a backstabbing bitch,” she muttered. She wasn’t mad at Ulquiorra, but she felt under attack.

“Well we’re not going to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. Get up. Call Kenpachi or Ukitake or whoever you write songs with. I’ll call up Wonder and see if he has anything. We’re going to put out a fucking single.” Ulquiorra said, pulling her up off the couch. “Is Shu here?”

“Yeah,” the man in question said, walking in from the kitchen with a box of leftover chinese food. “And she’s a crackhead, Heemz. You look cute.”

Orihime rolled her eyes. That wasn’t what she wanted. “Ran!” she shouted.

Rangiku came into the living room wearing tiny workout shorts and a sports bra. She had planned on going for a run but hadn’t gotten out of the door yet. “Yeah?”

“Jesus fucking Christ. Orihime! Explain to your daughter we wear real clothes around here!” Ulquiorra shouted and turned away from the blonde.

“Hey! It’s your own fault for looking, _dude_ ,” Orihime snapped at her husband, then turned back to Rangiku in a slightly less aggressive tone and said, “Are you prepared for Operation Glow Up? I think it’s time to execute.”

Her blue eyes went from Ulquiorra to Orihime and back again several times. She had no clue what was going on between those two. “Absolutely. Are you prepared for it?”

“What? Wait a minute. She walks in here--” Ulquiorra shut up because of Orihime’s stare. “Well excuse me for having fucking eyeballs. Let me rip them out. What is Operation Glow Up?”

“Your wife is going to be made over and gets to go through my clothes and reinvent herself. She needs to be bad, sassy, and ready to kick ass if you guys are gonna take on Mila. She’s mean, and as you’ve seen, a backstabber. I should know,” Rangiku said. “It’s not going to be a drastic change. We’re going to give her something she can manage every day. I mean if Orihime wants to do that whole routine of putting on “battle armor”--” Rangiku said using air quotes and then glanced at Shuhei “--she can, and I will teach her, but she needs a better stylist than whoever your label is giving you. Kirio is good, but she’s conservative good.”

Orihime pursed her lips. “No offense, Ran, because you always look fucking fabulous, but your style is no good for me. We’re going to have to shop. A lot.”

“My fucking credit card,” Ulquiorra muttered but he gave Orihime a smile.

A head full of red hair turned on him slowly, like some kind of horror movie doll. “Ass Sphincter says what?”

“I was joking, woman. You know I don’t mind whatever you do. If you don’t want to record with me, Shu and I are going in the studio. You two shop until you’re exhausted.”

“Also, not _your_ card, my dude. Check yourself. I will join you in the studio if you want. These things aren’t incompatible.”

“No it’s not my card. It’s not your card either, Mrs Cifer. It’s ours,” Ulquiorra said and grabbed Orihime by her hips. “Call Kenpachi and see what he can come up with for us. I’ll call Wonder and see what he can get me unless Mister Hisagi can write songs?”

“I’ve been working on some things. Orihime told me how lucrative writing can be, so I’ve been trying some things out. Or we could all just go have a jam session. I know you’re not an instrumentalist or a particularly confident singer, Ran, but you know what resonates with people. Maybe you can help with suggestions,” Shuhei offered.

The blonde blushed. “I know how to play piano a little bit and I sing terribly--”

“We know.”

“Tch,” she said and glared at Ulquiorra then turned to Shuhei giving him a smile. “But I’d be happy to help you guys out. Anything to shut that bitch up.”

Orihime nodded. “Alright. It’s on. Tomorrow we’ll shop, and then this weekend we’ll go be sharks and swim a circuit around downtown. That should shut that straw-haired tart up.”

“And for the rest of today? Can we--” Ulquiorra bent his head down and whispered the rest of his thought into Orihime’s ear.

Orihime blushed as she listened to him, and when he stood back up and looked at her with a questioning expression, she stammered, “I mean, I thought we were going to have a jam session, but, uh-- Shu? Ran? Why don’t you two go work on a song. We’ll meet up with you later,” she said, grabbing her husband’s hand and pulling him toward the stairs that led down to their room for the make-up sex her husband suggested.

Rangiku rolled her eyes and shook her head. “If we’re going to be working, I should get changed,” she said.

Shuhei looked her over and raised a brow. “Do you have to? I’ve got something to keep you warm if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I don’t want to be distracting, Shu. You heard Old Man Cifer. I’m indecent,” she said.

“He’s just pissed because you’re testing his “I only have eyes for Orihime” conviction. I can’t blame him though. Have you seen you?” Shu smiled at her fondly. 

She was going to answer him. She really was. Her mouth opened but a cry from downstairs rang out. Usually the homeowners were quiet about their lovemaking but either they left the door open or they didn’t care to censor themselves. Rangiku bit her bottom lip. Her face felt like it was on fire as she shifted her weight. “I’m gonna--” 

It was getting to him, too. Hearing the couple downstairs reminded him of the first time they were together. “Do you want to listen or do you want to go down to the studio, y’know, where they told us to go?”

“I want...both?” God why did she sound so lame? Why couldn’t she just come out and say what she wanted when it concerned him like this? “I want both. I want to listen like the last time.”

His cock thought this was a fantastic idea, and he had to shift his stance to prevent chafing. “Um, do you want to… Um, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but do you want to go to my room?”

This was the same guy who indulged her. This was the guy who got them a motel room in the middle of the night and made her day by taking care of her. This was the same dumb bunny who had trouble with a condom. This was the guy who slept beside her, wrapping his arms around her and making her feel safe. This was the same guy who in the middle of the night would practically chase her around the bed, pulling her to his chest or almost rolling on top of her. “Please?”

He nodded and walked over to her, taking her hand and leading the way. When he got to the door, he let her enter first, then left the door open. “I don’t have any kitty treats, and I doubt you even want to do that, Ran, but I want you to enjoy this. What do you think?”

“I want you to shut up,” she said, walking over to him and running her fingers through his hair. “We don’t have to do that unless you want to. I _want_ to. We can enjoy each other.” Rangiku pulled Shuhei’s head down to hers, her lips molding to his as she backed him up against the wall. A hand trailed down his chest as she lightly pinched his nipple and then felt his abdomen.

His breath shuddered, and he watched her with parted lips as she touched him. He was afraid to return the gesture at the moment, but the sounds from downstairs were giving him encouragement. “What do you think they’re doing?” he whispered to her.

Rangiku tilted her head. “Well I don’t hear their headboard hitting the wall. Maybe he has her in that sex swing or she’s riding him. You can hear springs, so she might be doing that,” she said after a moment of listening. She squirmed where she stood, rubbing her thighs together. “You’re not leaving this room until I’m satisfied, and frankly Shu, I don’t think I’m ever going to get my fill of you.”

Fuck. This was a bit more than he had anticipated. He could hear Ulquiorra grunt, and Rangiku’s heavy breath, and his hands moved on their own, grasping her hips and pulling her to his body, trapping his erection between them. He shifted his hips slightly and hissed. “I can fill you, Ran. We both know I can,” he whispered to her.

A whimper went through her. She lifted her feet one at a time and slipped off the socks she had on. She left them on the floor before she backed away from Shuhei. The sports bra she wore had a zipper on the front. It didn’t take much to slowly drag it down when she had his attention. “Do you want to?”

“Yes,” he said, tilting his chin down and looking at her from under thick brows. He didn’t wait for her response, just letting his feelings guide him as he stared at her tits and heard the whimpers of the woman downstairs. He wanted Rangiku to make those sounds. His hands went to the waistband of his shorts and pushed them down. He wasn’t wearing anything underneath. “Do you want me to touch you, Ran?” he asked, walking toward her.

“Yes, but I don’t want you to fuck me. I want you to make love to me, Shuhei.”

His pupils widened. He whipped his shirt off and walked toward the door, shutting it. If she wanted him to make love to her, he would. When the barrier was shut, he turned toward her and took the few steps to stand directly before her, putting a hand into her hair and smoothing it out before bringing it back up to cup her cheek, forcing her to look up at him. “I can do that, Ran, but first I need to know.”

Her brows came together. What did he need to know? “I’ll tell you if I can,” she replied.

A nod. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

He kissed her temple. “Do you want me?” 

She couldn’t speak. Her emotions were making it difficult, so she nodded.

He kissed her between the eyes. “Do you want to be with me?”

Another nod. Rangiku’s chest was rising and falling. “Yes, every day.”

He kissed her other temple. “Will you let me in? Will you let me love you?”

She let out several squeaks and looked at him with her mouth trembling. “You love me?”

He dipped his head down and captured her lips in a soft, open-lipped kiss. “Yes. I love you, Ran. I’ve loved you,” he whispered, pulling away.

This is what she was waiting for, wasn’t it? This is what she wanted. Rangiku’s thumbs slipped under the waistband of her workout shorts and she peeled them down before looking up at the man. “Remember what I told you in Omaha? My house is wrecked?”

He blew out his nostrils and smiled at her. “Your house is perfect. Do you love me, Rangiku?”

She smiled. He didn’t get it, but that was okay. Her house was in order and perfect when she was around him. “I knew I loved you when I stayed the first night with you. I just fell more in love with you every day.”

He kissed her again, slowly letting their lips melt into each others. He breathed in her shaky breath, and his arms wrapped around her body. She felt like home to him. It had been that way from the Backstreet Boys song. He picked her up and put her on his bed, setting her back down on it and hovering over her so that they were face to face, his feet still on the ground. “Can I call you my girlfriend, Rangiku?”

“Can I properly meet your mom?”

He kissed her lips again, the same as before, then kissed her nose and her cheeks and her forehead. “Of course. But you have to have the secret passphrase,” he said before kissing her earlobe.

She shivered against him, liking how his breath could turn her on. “Shuhei is god?” she asked, with a smile on her face.

“No,” he said, smiling as he kissed his way down one side of her neck to the hollow spot at the base of her throat, then back up the other side to her other ear. “The secret words are, “Hi, I’m your son’s girlfriend, Rangiku. I love him,” he nipped at that earlobe and then raised his head to look at her face again. “And he loves me.”

She gasped at the contact. “You are my lover. You are my baby. You are my man; my boyfriend; my Kevin Bacon,” a tear left her eye. Emotions were choking her. “I love you. You give me tremors, Shuhei.”

He grinned at her. “You’re so corny, Ran. I love that about you,” he said, chuckling as he pressed his lips to hers. 

The levity didn’t last long, though. As his lips parted, his tongue came out to taste her, and it fueled his desire. A heavy breath escaped him and a hand came down onto her shoulder, trailing from there down the side of her breast, his thumb passing over her soft nipple, then moved down her ribs, her hips, her thigh, and stopping at her knee. He twisted his wrist and his hand went under the joint, pulling her leg up. “I want to touch you, Ran,” he whispered with labored breath when the kiss broke.

“Touch me then. Indulge me. I want to feel you, Baby.”

With a nod, he slid his body off the side of the bed and gently moved her other leg up, his palm dragging down the soft surface of her inner thigh to her knee. He wanted to see her. 

When he felt that he had enough space, the fingers on the hand he hand just moved her leg with covered her mound, and he just let it stay there for a moment, feeling the heat rise off of her. “You have a very, very pretty kitty, Rangiku,” he said as his palm put gentle pressure on it and began to move in slow deliberate circles.

Her stomach was in knots. It was nerves. She helped him out by grabbing her legs under the knees. When his hand settled on her netherlips, Rangiku gave a sharp inhale but she didn’t flinch. He was letting her get used to this. He was letting her get accustomed to this. She looked at him and gave him a bashful smile. “Thank you. It’s a bit...She needs to go to the groomers,” she said with a chuckle.

He chuckled too. “Oh no, my dear. I like you just fine this way. And the other way. It’s all good.” He looked at her face for a moment and smiled before looked down at her body again. “The other day you asked if I liked pink. You asked me which shade I liked best. I’m looking at it,” he said, his palm pulling upward and opening the wet lips, showing him the pink skin underneath. “This is the best shade.”

She couldn’t help give a small cry, Rangiku’s hips moving on their own. She wanted this so badly. She didn’t want it to end quickly, but she could tell by her slightly shaking legs and the way her core pulsed, it wouldn’t take much for him to send her over the edge. “I love you.”

The way he hummed sounded like an engine purring. “Good. I love you,” he replied, leaning forward and kissing her slit. He kissed it from mound to entrance and back, not pressing between her lips, but enjoying the feel of her skin against his mouth, the smell he had missed, and the heat. It was intoxicating. He could only do it for a minute or two before he grew impatient, and his fingertips slipped between her folds, opening her up to him. When all he could see was pink, he kissed her there, wetting his lips on her skin. 

Her head moved from side to side as Rangiku felt her toes curling which each touch he gave her. She was biting on her lip to keep from moaning or crying out. She felt wanted. She felt loved. She was both of these things. “Oooh, god, Shuhei. Please,” she finally said, letting go of one leg to run her fingers through his hair.

At her insistence, he sunk two fingers into her. She was so, so wet. His lips covered her clit as he groaned, imagining what it would feel like to have this wetness cover his cock. It twitched at the thought. 

He slowly moved his fingers in and out of her, pressing gently upward as his tongue made love to her clit. He could do this for days. 

A long moan came out of Rangiku. It wouldn’t take much and it didn’t. The combination of his fingers fucking her and his mouth on her body and being so keyed up made the woman’s muscles tense and all it took was a hum against her clit to send her over the edge. She could feel her core pulsing around Shuhei’s fingers. She could feel how wet she was. And when she couldn’t handle it anymore, she screamed his name, back arching. As the pulses slowed she was breathing heavily.

He felt her body melt and he withdrew his fingers from her, kissing his way back up her body, sucking on her right nipple for a bit on the way back to her ear. “I love you, Ran. I love you,” he said as he kissed her neck and jaw, stroking his painfully hard cock and panting into her skin. “I want to come on you. Can I?”

“Lay on your back, lover. I’m going to let you come in my mouth.”

***

Ulquiorra glared at the ceiling. “If those two are fucking someone is going to end up pregnant around here,” he said, stroking Orihime’s back.

“This isn’t like… What was that movie where the dude with the, oh yeah. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He got knocked up.”

“They’re fucking. They have to be. They’re loud. I can hear them,” Ulquiorra sighed. He was the one who left the door open. “And what movie? Wasn’t that the one with Danny Devito?”

“I don’t know,” she said and sighed. “They are totally fucking, by the way. I guess they took the whole “couple goals” thing way too seriously. I mean, I aim to inspire, but maybe not so literally.”

Ulquiorra moved his head so that he could look at his wife. “I bet I can make you scream louder. In fact I know I can. But, if they’re together we don’t have to be so shy about PDA. If they walk in and I’m tonguing you on the kitchen counter, that’s their fault.”

“You are so, so wrong, and I love it so, so much,” she said, grinning at him with squinty eyes. She strained to listen to the pair upstairs, but heard nothing. “I wonder if they’re done already. Maybe we should, um, applaud or something,” she said, snickering.

“RUSSIAN JUDGE GIVES YOU A--”

Orihime’s hand came over his mouth. “Don’t you dare. You didn’t see anything,” she hissed at him, before yelling, “I hope you have some wet wipes!”


	46. Chapter 46

Ulquiorra laughed as he saw Shuhei and Rangiku enter the kitchen, hands interlocked. The blonde gave him a sassy glare and rolled her eyes. She had on one of Shuhei’s t-shirts and a pair of his shorts. They were huge on her, but she wasn’t about to run down to her room for clothing.

“Did you two have fun?”

“Did you?” Shu asked, a challenge in his eyes. “You inspired my girlfriend.”

The water Ulquiorra was drinking flew out of his mouth, hitting Ash, who was sitting on the island. She jumped down as Ulquiorra tried to breathe again. “Your--” he coughed. “Your what?”

“My girlfriend,” Shuhei repeated, this time with a cocky smirk on his face as he pulled Rangiku’s hand up to his lips and kissed it, all while staring at Ulquiorra. What was he going to say about it?

“VEGGS! VEGA!!” Ulquiorra eyed the two half shocked and half disbelieving this. “Seriously? We inspired you guys to get down and now you’re dating?”

“We’re not dating. Dating implies that there’s room to see someone else,” Rangiku said looking at Shuhei. “No, we’re _best friends_ , aren’t we Baby?”

“Best friends who are in an exclusive romantic relationship, Ran,” he corrected, smiling at her before turning to Ulquiorra, and glancing at the redhead who came trotting up the stairs. “The couple goals pillow wasn’t a joke. The only joke is that it’s you two. Ew,” he joked.

“Wait, What? What am I seeing?” Orihime stood with her feet splayed, leaning forward and pointing at Shuhei and Rangiku with an incredulous smile.

“This is Shuhei, my boyfriend,” Rangiku said, blushing.

Orihime squealed and punched the air over her head, before spinning around in a circle and doing a dorky little victory dance. “Success! Successsss!!! I am the puppet master!!!”

“Gag. Gag. Gag.” Ulquiorra stared at his wife before rolling his eyes. “Okay, rules time. No fucking where I eat. It’s bad enough the cat steps on everything. No fucking where I sit. No fucking in the pool. No fucking in the hot tub. No fucking anywhere I can see it and no fucking in my studio.”

Shuhei rolled his eyes. “I have seen you two fucking in almost all of those places. Not even a little. I have seen way too much of you two.”

Rangiku squeezed his hand. “You’ve seen them? And you failed to mention this?”

“Okay, new rule then.” Ulquiorra said and raised a finger.

“Shut up Cif. Relax. I’m not an exhibitionist. I mean I can be, but we’re not going to, like, go into your bedroom and screw on the bed,” Rangiku said. “We can keep it to our rooms and the bathroom.”

“You pervert, Shuhei Hisagi,” Orihime said, looking him up and down as if she was seeing him in a new light. “Maybe you should have taken a picture; it would have lasted longer.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “Okay since everyone is sexually satisfied, can we--”

“I’m hungry,” Rangiku said.

“Speak for yourself,” Orihime muttered.

The green-eyed man huffed. “Do you want to go back downstairs and I’ll fuck you? I can bend you over right here. They’ll leave,” Ulquiorra said walking over to where Orihime stood. He tilted her chin up and kissed her.

Shuhei tugged on Rangiku’s hand. “We should probably hit up a drive through. He’s not kidding.”

A laugh left Rangiku’s throat and she gave the other couple a glance as Ulquiorra had cupped Orihime between her legs. “Right, yeah, let’s go. He’s certainly not playing around,” she said nodding.

Orihime whimpered and as Ulquiorra’s lips moved to her jaw she called out, “Sorry! Can you get me a milkshake? Ooh!”

“I want one too! Make hers a Banana one! Oww.”

Rangiku got a pair of flip flops on and was waiting for Shuhei outside in front of the house. Never in a million years would she have left her apartment wearing something like this with no makeup. “You need your own place,” she commented when he joined her.

He chuckled and nodded. “Still think they are couple goals? He oscillates between uptight and inappropriate and she is insatiable. It’s exhausting.”

“I’m already inappropriate. I hope you’d have already realized this and you’ve not seen insatiable. There’s a reason why I have so many toys,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Heh, I hope I can keep up with you,” he said as he drove.

“So what happened to your economy size package of condoms? Did you use them all while you were on the road? I’m not being a bitch, I’m curious,” Rangiku said, putting her hand on his leg.

“Nope. They sat where you left them, probably until some lucky, horny kid found them and gave them a forever home,” he replied, smiling, but feeling bittersweet at the memory.

“We can buy a new box unless… you know...” Rangiku cleared her throat. “It’s good that you know… I don’t know. I’m glad you didn’t get pulled into the sex parties and groupies cycle.”

“It’s not that I didn’t sometimes try, Ran, it’s that it made me feel hollow when I tried. I’m not going to lie to you. I wasn’t a saint while I was on tour. I wasn’t, like, Mr. Rockstar, either. And while we were still kind of seeing each other, I was all business. Off the bus, show, back on the bus. Even for a long time after that I held out hope and stayed away from all fans.”

“You know about my sins,” she said. “I mean there was my manager, but that was awful and I refuse to meet him anywhere but that was after the shoe store thing with you and I,” Rangiku shook her head. “I didn’t expect you to be a saint but still I’m glad. I’m clean by the way.”

He frowned. “I should be clean, but I don’t know for sure. I’ll have to call a doctor on Monday. It’s why I didn’t… You know.”

Rangiku smiled and nodded. “It’s okay. Um, I’m also on birth control; every three months a period kind. So we don’t have to worry about that. So did you have sex with these women without protection?”

“Woman, not women. One time. With a condom that I flushed down the toilet. The others were just making out in bars while drunk and trying not to be sad.”

Oh. That made sense. “Okay,” she said. “Um, I’m seeing a therapist. Ulq is really shitty at giving advice. I mean… God, how does she listen to him? He’s awful at speaking to people.”

“She is… She is like some kind of mind reader I think. It’s uncanny. But on the other hand, he can be really sweet to her and sometimes it just sails right over her head. So who knows.”

Rangiku laughed. “You’re sweet. You’re kind. Thank you for helping me but, just so you know… Doctor Zommari is going to hear about you. I’ll get a lecture about loving myself and letting people in which… I am doing. I hope I’m doing it. But I can’t get over the fact that you and I--” She shook her head again. 

“That we’re what?” he asked, that sweetness she referenced in his voice.

“Together? I’m yours and you’re mine.”

He smiled at that, but said, “I don’t own you, Ran. I know some people like to say things like that, and sometimes I do too, but… I prefer to think you choose me and I choose you. Like Pokemon,” he chuckled.

“No one owns me. No one is paying me. You’re right, we chose each other but my heart is yours,” Rangiku stated.

“Same, girl, same,” he said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “So, uh, did you know that I, uh, I sang songs for you? Not just Stitches?Oh! Speaking of that song, and how you think Ulq is so terrible or whatever, did you know it was _him_ pushing me to pursue you, not Orihime? He wouldn’t let it go! He was like, obsessed with us at one point. Dude is so weird.”

“Like I told you, I imagined that your entire album was something you sang to me,” she said to him. “I would watch the Youtube videos of your shows and would sit there imagining each song you sang for me.”

He smiled. “Most of them _were_ for you. So… yeah.”

“Ulq is an okay guy. He kept telling me to leave Los Angeles and find someone else. Why would he push you towards me and then tell me to leave? The guy is a huge ball of contradictions,” she said.

“Yeah, honestly I wonder if he knows his face from his ass. I think he gets frustrated and just spouts off whatever nonsense comes to mind. Like you would be happier in another town? You shine here. Even under shitty circumstances.”

“I was never happy when I lived with my parents. I got lost in the shuffle with everything. And it’s cold. Los Angeles is a beautiful place at times. It can be. Oh! When you get a house can you like get one where it’s not forty minutes way for a booty call?”

He laughed. “Maybe. We’ll see. I never expected to have the, uh, financial means that I have now. It’s going to take some time to really appreciate it and realize how I can use it. I keep telling Shelly she should retire or go part time now and she’s like no way!” He chuckled again.

“From what I’ve seen of your mom, she’s pretty and you look your happiest with her,” Rangiku said. “I, uh, stalked Momo’s instagram and saved all the photos of you.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I… I liked being a baker okay, but after Heemz left I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied with _just_ being a baker anymore. I tried to fake it with Momo but..,”. He sighed. “Sorry but she’s just such a bitch.”

Rangiku looked at Shuhei for a long moment. She liked how his profile looked and how he focused on the road. She gave a content sigh. “Don’t apologize to me, boyfriend. I agree with you.”

He laughed awkwardly, eyes still on the road. “Why did you go talk to her? I mean, she’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Did she give you any insight?”

“After what happened between us happened, I uh, I got mad and decided that I was going to push you to the side. You were going to be the story again. Then I realized as I saw your mom leave, I wasn’t there for that. I was there to find out what not to do to push you away. Momo lied to me. She said you abused her. That you would throw her around and how you didn’t care if she went out to see other people. She said she could never compete with Orihime.”

He scoffed. “It’s true, she couldn’t. Orihime isn’t a bitch. She doesn’t try to trick people.” He scoffed again. “Momo would drink a lot. She would scream and throw things and throw wild, baseless accusations. The night that I left…”. He sighed again. “Sorry. Today’s not about her.”

“I love you, Shuhei. You have awful friends in Ohio though. Renji and Kira… I told you what happened with them. They have weak game,” Rangiku stated. “I’m sorry I did that. All the interviews and the information I collected on you I deleted. I knew after the Nel interview you weren’t a story to me and I couldn’t do that to you.”

He glanced at her with a grin. “The fact that you knew that there was no story without Nel and Momo’s tall tales just proves that I am totally boring.”

She rolled her blue eyes. “Whatever. Rangiku Matsumoto doesn’t let boring guys please her. She doesn’t want boring guys to _wreck_ her and make love to her.”

His eyes glinted as he dragged them back to the road. “You’ll find out soon enough. I’m totally boring. Maybe it’s in a good way. But, uh… I know you said a couple times that Kirio is not the best stylist. She knew right away, though. That’s why the tatts are on the way out.”

“You gotta do you,” Rangiku replied. She smiled and giggled. “The tattoos were what initially drew me to you. Who was this dumbass with this ink on his face? And the fact that I couldn’t charm you to get what I wanted. As if, to quote Cher from Clueless. There was also the thing of you asking about me. When you walked away from me that first time I threw a fit and decided to antagonize Ulq.”

He smiled and said, “Well you consistently succeed in that endeavor. But I guess if you’re Cher, that makes me Paul Rudd? I can do that. Paul is great.” He turned into a drive through and pulled to a stop behind another car. “But for real? I am boring. I’m a quiet, slightly bookish nerd boy who likes to be nice and help people and not get noticed. Until I hit puberty then the tattoos and the beer and the porn happened. R-E-G-R-E-T.”

“Psht. I was a bookworm and kept to myself and studied when I was in school. My parents expected perfection. They’re not perfect. They’re two strangers who decided to get married because it was available. He’s Japanese, she’s Russian. They’re… odd. I came out here to be myself. You think you’re boring, wait. I watch Netflix when not working. I like to sleep. I am lazy and would much rather stay in than go out. I did some wild things while out here, porn included.”

His eyes bugged out. “Hold up, I meant that I _watched_ porn. You did porn? Can I watch?” he said, a smile coming over his face and his eyes sliding toward her.

“Can we forget I said that then?” she asked with a laugh. “Um, it was only once. How do you think I know Mila Rose?”

He nearly choked. “No fucking way. Like, Ulq must have been totally sheltered because he had been talking to her and didn’t even know. I bet that was a fun conversation with Heemz. “Oh, yeah, Babe, I was just, you know, sneaking around behind your back to text with a porn star.” Christ that guy is clueless.” He shook his head. “I had an uncle who was a big, big fan of Mila’s. He used to pass around her DVDs when she did the barely legal stuff. I didn’t realize what a gross hobby that was, like porn book club, with bodily fluids… Ew.”

She squealed. “Ew. Ew. Ew. No! Well that’s when it happened. About two or three months after I turned eighteen and came out here? It’s called something like Baby Gets Wet volume four or something. I have no clue. It was money in my pocket. Afterwards she and I kind of hooked up. She stabbed me in the back. I was seeing the married guy. But I didn’t know he was married. His wife found out. There was drama and so I told the people Mila was working with that she had some STIs. She dropped out of it quick. Then she did some gossip reporting in Silicon Valley and now she’s Gin’s sugar baby.”

“Wow. What a tawdry tale. Also… I regret to inform you that my uncle definitely has watched you get fucked, then.” He shook his head, blinking.

“That’s the thing. Mila gave me oral and then fucked me with a dildo. I never showed my face. I never did anything beyond that. I think she’s seventy percent lesbian anyway. Are you going to introduce me to your uncle too?”

“No, he’s dead, so you’re off the hook,” he said flippantly. He turned to smile at her and said, “Even if you had done the stuff that Mila did, I would have dealt with it. Even if Ken was alive and didn’t stop jerking off to you, I would have dealt with it. I might have had to chop his hands off, but you know, we all deal with things in different ways,” he said and pulled up to the menu board. “What do you want?”

“You.”

***

Orihime was mature for her age, but she was still young. Young and energetic. Focused. Insatiable.

Rangiku may have enjoyed shopping, but shopping with Orihime was more like a decathalon or a siege. She was relentless. It was exhausting.

“Ran! Come on, we have to check out the hosiery!”

When she was younger she might have been able to keep up with the redhead but staying up late with Shu and how relaxed she was made her just want to slump on a bench and take a nap. “Stockings. Always get stockings. Can we get some iced coffee?” the blonde said finally reaching the redhead.

“Oh yeah. Francois? Can we get some iced coffee? You’re such a love,” Orihime cooed to the frail-looking shop owner, who bowed his pencil-moustached head and scurried away. “If you’re tired you can just have a seat and watch me try stuff on,” the redhead suggested.

“I’m not tired. I’m relaxed. I’m content. I’m happy and I need like a ten minute nap,” Rangiku said sitting down in a posh chair though. “Can Ulquiorra go all night?”

“Often,” she answered, stripping down to just her panties like it was no big deal and grabbing a pair of stockings off of a pile she had brought to the large fitting room with her. She had been performing from an early age; costume changes and fittings did not even register to her as something to be modest about, unless there were straight men present. “Why do you ask?”

Rangiku gave Orihime a once over and then shrugged. “Shu said he could go all night. Renji offered me all night… What is with Ohio boys and offering all night? Shu tries, but after round three, he kind of is tapped.”

Orihime snorted, then brought one hand to her mouth and another around her boobs to keep them from shaking around as she cackled. “Yeah, they are all talk. When I first got together with Ulquiorra he was lucky to go for two minutes, and he was toast after that for like a day. He’s worked up his stamina since then.”

“Hah! He wasn’t your first, was he?”

“Ah, no. He was not. I was his, though,” she said as she pulled the stockings up.

“Oooh, I sense an uncomfortable story!” Rangiku teased. She sobered up quickly though. “Gin was mine. I sold it to him.”

Orihime took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. My first time was with a hung Brazilian named Paulo with perfect teeth and a hot bod. The couple of guys that followed were a rude awakening for me. I was like, “Oh, you mean, not all guys are cut like gods”?” she joked, then laughed awkwardly.

“Does it bother you that Ulq is the only man for the rest of your life? I can see myself with Shu until I’m old. He said he’s the only one who gets to be with me. I don’t have a problem with it. I thought I would, but I don’t.”

Orihime smiled at her and pulled a dress on over her head. “It does not bother me. I was in love with Ulquiorra before I knew who he was. I was always kind of comparing everyone to him. Even when we were broken up I did that. After I was with him I knew I didn’t want to be with anyone else. God I’m so sappy. I just really love him, you know?”

The blonde nodded. She knew this feeling. She felt the same way with Shuhei. No one else could compare to him. She didn’t want anyone else either. “You’re like that one song,” she said.

“Which one is that?”

“I knew I loved you or something? I’m not sure what the title is but it came out when I was four years old.”

“Oh… I know that one,” she smiled and hummed the melody a bit. “Coffee!” she squealed then, seeing Francois return.

Rangiku took the offered cup and took a drink. She sighed, feeling the icy drink seep into her stomach. Caffeine. “I’m thinking it’s time for me to get an apartment after all this. I’m doing better. I think I am.”

“Well that’s fun. We’ll miss you but, given current developments,” she turned to look at the blonde and waggled her brows, “I understand you’ll want some privacy. Besides, Ulquiorra is convinced someone is going to end up pregnant at the rate we’re all going. You don’t strike me as someone who is making lists of baby names.”

“You never know. But it’s never been something I’ve thought about. Kids… Shu wants kids. He’s talked about a wife and mini-mes for him. I don’t know if that’s going to be something that will be an issue. Right now I’m enjoying us,” Rangiku replied. “Plus birth control. I should have been on it before or taken it regularly.”

“You’re not? Oh… So Ulquiorra might be right.” She sighed and looked at her friend again. “You and Shu just started out. I’m sure he’s not in a rush. Don’t worry about that kind of thing now.”

“No no no, I’m on it now. It’s just before I’d forget to schedule the appointments and stuff. I wasn’t on it when… when it happened.” Rangiku waved a hand as if to dismiss the thought. “You first and then I might follow.”

Orihime took a deep breath and tried not to imagine what Rangiku was talking about. After a moment she replied, “I have an implant. I have about two years left on this one if I don’t get it removed, so there’s your buffer,” she laughed. “That’s if Ulquiorra doesn’t get his way.”

Rangiku smiled. “I have to go every three months to get a pill? Or four pills? I don’t know. The pills are at home on my dresser. I take them once a month or something. Shu’s gonna wear condoms when we finally do...you know. How do you deal with your husband? He’s bad at speaking to people.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, shimmying out of the stockings.

“How did you become the OIV whisperer?”

Orihime chuckled. “I never kissed his ass. I hold the keys to the kingdom, so to speak.” She looked down at her crotch and laughed. “I don’t know. Guess I’m used to it?”

“I tried kissing Shu’s ass during that first meeting. He didn’t like that so much. He blew me off. You know when we went to Trashy’s? You told me to leave him alone? I knew you were right. You were right and I got pissed because of it.”

“I know. You weren’t the first friend I’ve lost to the truth. But, I have never had a lot of friends. My upbringing was not conducive to it. So, I guess what I’m saying is it’s fine. Your reaction was to be expected. I wasn’t trying to hurt you or anything, but that you got hurt was a price I was willing to pay to protect Shu. I’m sorry that it was you, but I’m not sorry for saying it.”

Rangiku smiled and crossed her legs at the knee, letting her foot swing slightly. “It’s fine. I’m a big girl. I knew I was doing him wrong. I didn’t like it. Shu deserves all my attention not just part of it and right now, he has it.”

Orihime grinned at the other woman’s reflection in the mirror. “He is special. I knew it back in Ohio. I knew he wasn’t for me but I knew he was going to make someone insanely happy.”

“Every time we’ve been together I’ve been happy. However…” Rangiku said and took another sip from her cup. “Momo’s claws need to be trimmed, if you know what I mean.‘

“Oh? Care to elaborate? Or is it just the assault?”

“The assault. The fact that she lied to me about him. The fact she’s seen him naked; touched him. Stuff like that. Oooh! The jealousy.”

“Uhh…” Orihime was feeling uncomfortable. Should she disclose what had happened between her and Shuhei? She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. “Anyway, two of the big reasons I am so protective of Shu is that one, he always looked out for me, but mostly because two, of how broken he sounded when he called me, completely drunk out of his mind, so I’m sure he doesn’t remember, crying and telling everything that happened with Mo. She deserves to get punted.”

The blonde smiled again. “Don’t worry. She told me what happened. You’re insanely in love with Ulq. If you weren’t with him I might have a problem with it.” Rangiku laughed looking at Orihime’s face. “I’m joking. But Momo did him wrong and I’m going to try to do everything I can to show Shuhei I’m different.”

“You already do. So enough about boys,” she said, pulling her clothes back on. “Let’s talk about you. I haven’t seen cameras around lately. What’s the deal with your show?”

The smile dropped and Rangiku played with a lock of her hair. “Well after I declined to interview Gin, which would have been at his home and not the studio, we decided to do that It’s Ran reality show. We filmed those five episodes and the network decided they didn’t want it because it didn’t show enough of the Cifers to be relevant. I’m unemployed and have no clue what to do. Jugo says he may have a couple of guest spots open for other shows or trying to line up a couple of Rumor Mill specials but other than that… I have no clue. I could go back to doing YouTube drags but… that’s not who I am anymore.”

“Ever considered doing a fashion and lifestyle show? I mean, I am thinking that this whole Operation Glow Up and the plan for this weekend would appeal to a certain audience,” Orihime mused. “I don’t know if you’re into more vloggy, produced content, but I like watching that kind of thing. I’m sure others would.”

Rangiku looked at Orihime and then pulled her phone out of her bag. She opened the camera app and stared at it. “Hi! Welcome back to It’s Ran! I’m Rangiku and my lovely co-host for today is Orihime Cifer or Vega Highwell. We’re out shopping with Ms. Highwell and will be giving her a bit of a glow up. Any words, Vega?”

“Ha ha, me? Well, um. Hi viewers! Welcome to my dressing room, or rather, the dressing room at Francois and Co.,” she blushed and looked down at what she was wearing. “Uh, this is my _before_ look, and we’re here at Francois’ to try on hosiery and foundation garments. A lot of people think undies are just undies. They are wrong,” she said and giggled, looking at Ran to relinquish the floor.

She could do this. Rangiku could totally do this. “Ms. Highwell is into lingerie if memory serves--” she gave Orihime a smile “--so with any great outfit you need great underthings. Keep watching and we’ll show you what she looks like when we’re all done.”

Rangiku stopped recording and laughed. “You’re seriously going to be a guinea pig for this? Lord. Your husband is going to kill me.”

“It was my idea,” she said, raising her chin and acting royal. “He supports my creative outlets. And yes, I will be your guinea pig. I always support my friends if I can. And if you’re going to start a new show, may as well start with a high-profile subject, right? Gives it legitimacy.” She laughed at herself.

***

“Yo! Ulq! Sup, hello, you must be Hisagi. Heard good things,” Oetsu said as he came into the little studio followed by a quiet blonde man. “I’m Oetsu, I produced both of OIV’s albums. This is Wonder who co-wrote most of the songs on both albums.”

Ulquiorra had to shake his head at Oetsu. “Sit down and we’ll tell you what we need.”

Once they were settled Ulquiorra told the men what he wanted to do. Wonder made some movements with his hands and looked at Oetsu.

“He says he would need to see what Mister Hisagi has first before he can help.”

Shuhei looked between his housemate and the producer, then glanced at Wonderweiss. “So, you just want me to play something, or…?” Up until that point he had only sung other people’s songs so he didn’t know what was expected.

“Usually--” Ulquiorra was interrupted by the blond man doing more sign language. “Uh… man? What?”

Oetsu chuckled. “Wonderweiss is mute but he can write songs. He wants to see what you have and then he can help write a song or he can let you look through his newest stuff he’s written.”

“This is more for me than it’s for Shu. With this move to the new label, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing,” Ulquiorra said.

“‘Kay, so, why don’t we do this… What’s a song you both like? Or whatchu feeling at the moment?”

“Uh.” It took a moment for Ulquiorra to think. “Shu?”

“Um, I know it’s a bit of a classic, and would need some finesse to sound fresh, but what about Mr. Big’s “To Be With You”?” he offered.

“Yo, this guy gots balls. He just dug up a skeleton, shook it out and said good to go,” Oetsu said with a laugh. “Wond, you good?”

More sign language.

“He needs a notebook and a pen, Ulq. Get that for him and I’ll get the music printed out and the lyrics. We can discuss who is gonna sing what,” the producer said rolling to the soundboard and turning it on. “It ain’t Espada’s fancy set up or Soul Society’s but it’s decent.”

“What kind of sound do you think you want to go for, Ulq?” Shuhei asked. They hadn’t really discussed what they wanted to do beyond setting up the meeting. “More lofi? Acoustic? Something altogether new? I get the feeling you want a clean break from OIV.”

“We’re doing the lofi Stitches feel with a different song and different emotions. I guess I’m turning pop,” Ulquiorra said. “Or right now, doing more of a mainstream feel. I don’t know. I want something different.”

“Okay,” Shu said, then raised his head to get Oetsu’s attention. “Ulq is a better guitarist than me by a long shot. I’ll do rhythm, he can do lead.”

Ulquiorra looked at Shu and then shrugged. “If you’re sure,” he said. 

Oetsu nodded. “Cool, electric or acoustic?” he asked, fiddling with some switches.

“Acoustic. If Urahara wants a more polished electric guitar version, we can do it over but this is just a demo.”

“And, this is a collab or am I just backing you up for a solo project that I’m lending myself to? I just got off tour awhile ago so I’m fine with either,” Shu asked.

“Haha,” Oetsu laughed. “Dude, it takes Ulq forever to get out an album so don’t worry about packing your bags right away.”

“Shut up, It doesn’t take me forever. I like to be sure that certain things are perfect.”

“That’s not why I asked. I don’t want to showboat if this is your baby,” Shu said, leaning back and cracking his knuckles with a cocky sort of smirk.

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. “Showboat. You talk a lot of shit. How about IV featuring Shuhei Hisagi?” He said it like it was an offer.

“It’s fine with me. I’ll do harmony then.”


	47. Chapter 47

Rangiku looked at Orihime’s dress. “I don’t like this one,” she said. “What’s wrong with my style that you don’t like it? What’s wrong with tight dresses and voluminous hair? Oooh and glowy skin?”

“A, I have no problem with tight dresses. I love tight dresses. Just not _those_ tight dresses. Two, I don’t like my hair being enormous; I feel like a drag queen. And finally, glowy skin is fine but not so much bronzer. I like my fair skin.”

“Psht. Highlighter is where it’s at. You have to make those cheekbones pop. I don’t go too heavy with bronzer and I’ve not been to a spray tan place in months now. Maybe I need to go… I just need to have a total spa day. Get the entire thing waxed and plucked. Okay so no major changes to the hair. How about some layers? You want to wow people. I’m not saying change everything but just push your comfort zone a bit.”

Orihime sighed. She had to take the other woman’s advice at least a bit or she wouldn’t look different at all. “Okay. Fine. Just don’t make me look like your copycat. I don’t do copycat.”

Rangiku smiled. “Darling, my style works for me. The world has seen that I try to be perfect. I fail but I try. The thing with you is that you can present whatever image you want to them. Get some layers, try a minidress or a romper with some high heels. Try a pencil dress and a crop top. You have the world at your feet.”

“ _Babe,"_ Orihime responded, trying not to get annoyed at Rangiku's presumptuousness. "Have you seen my pre-Kirio wardrobe? I think you’re laboring under the false idea that I am conservative by choice. Shall I show you the crypt?” she asked, an evil smile playing at her lips.

“I think I’ve seen some photos of you performing… Oooh wait. Vega IV. Copy your Vega IV style or whatever it was. That was tasteful but rebellious.”

Orihime nodded. “That. That plus alpha. I was a bit rough around the edges. I was unmarried. I’m a brand now. I’m not a girl. It’s time to let the ingenue thing off its pedestal and let the sex goddess out of the box. To that end,” she said, walking toward a dress that she hadn’t tried on yet, “bra or no bra with this one?”

Rangiku smiled at the redhead. “No bra. Your girls stand up on their own so unless you really need it… Also, you might drive your husband crazy wearing no bra.”

“I do enjoy driving him crazy,” she said, biting her lip. “What about-- Ooh, I could wear my Christmas shoes!”

The blonde raised an eyebrow and looked at Orihime. “Christmas shoes?”

“Ulquiorra bought me these gorgeous… Hold on, let me go get them,” she said, walking over to the shoe section of her closet and pulling the stilettos out. “These,” she said reverently, presenting the shoes to Rangiku.

“Valentino’s. Nice. Very nice. Oooh and these are the ones with the crystals on them,” Rangiku said, as she lifted one shoe and appraised it. She was looking at a pair of these but had to pass because of the price tag. “It’s too bad that our feet aren’t the same size,” came the comment as she passed the shoe back to Orihime.

Orihime smiled. “Alright. So let me try these on together and you can tell me what you think and do your camera thing?” she said, grabbing the items and walking to the other side of the center set of shelves, so she could come out and reveal the outfit after she had it on. It took her a couple of minutes to get it put together.

Rangiku pulled out her phone and then started recording. “So you’ve followed us through a lot of stores and we’re putting the finishing touches on one of Vega’s outfits. We’re actually in Orihime’s closet right now. I can see her first Grammy gown. She has drawers of lingerie. She has a lot of shoes. Not as many as me, but it’s a considerable amount and… And… I just learned she has a pair of exclusive Valentino stilettos. Nice. So let’s go see if she’s ready,” Rangiku said to the camera as if she were talking to a friend. “Are you ready Vega?”

“Yep,” she said, coming out and stopping at a distance so that Rangiku could record the full outfit. “So, what do we think?”

Her phone started at Orihime’s feet with the designer heels and worked its way up her legs to the hem of the dress. The ivory knee-length spaghetti strap dress fit Orihime perfectly, hugging her body in all the right places. It went perfectly with the heels she wore. “I think Mr. Cifer is going to really go wild. I’m not going to show the face yet because we still need to decide on that and her hair, but Orihime, I think you go beyond glowing up.” 

The blonde giggled and stopped the recording. “Should we go show the boys?”

“You think it’s ready? You think _they’re_ ready?” Orihime giggled.

“We can deal with the hair and makeup when we go out this weekend. OH! I’ve got to call Bazz,” Rangiku said.

Orihime let out an immature, “Ooooooh?” before she caught herself. She cleared her throat and said, “Yeah, Ulquiorra mentioned him. You think Shu is gonna get all territorial?”

“Bazz and I were seeing each other. He tried numerous times to take me out on dates I declined. I told him I would call and text him. He took me out to lunch. The day before you guys got home, he was supposed to take me to dinner,” Rangiku explained. “Shu knew I was going to call Bazz but I came home upset and never got the chance the night when we were planning this. I’ll just call and then mention it to him. I’m just asking him for a list of A-lister clubs.”

Orihime nodded. “You mean you don’t have to extend the invitation to be polite? I don’t want to make an issue out of it but I’m totally fine with him joining us as long as it’s not a problem for you two. I’ve never met him, though, so I’ll leave it to you to decide,” Orihime said as she walked up the stairs carefully.

Rangiku was already on the phone, following Orihime. “Bazz! Hi! Yeah, I know it’s been a bit. No. I was wondering if you had any recommendations on clubs in Los Angeles. Yeah, A-list. I’m not a D-lister yet. Okay… Yeah… Can you text me these? Thank you… Uh, maybe we’ll see you out. I’m not sure where we’ll be going. I’ll text you and see if you’re not busy. Okay, bye bye.”

She sighed as she ended the call. “I will not be inviting him with us.”

“Say no more,” Orihime said, raising her brows at Rangiku’s tone. “More room in the limo for us. Oh, are you a champagne girl, or more of a vodka girl?”

“I am whatever booze someone wants to buy, but it has to be top shelf girl.”

Orihime gave a flat laugh. “Oh dear. Never settle for what someone else can buy for you. Decide what you want and get it. If you are leaving it up to me, we’re having some lovely bubbles for the first round and then moving on to something flat. I’ll have to accommodate the stinky boys, but if memory serves, Shu likes tequila,” Orihime said with a chuckle.

Orihime was really serving up some good advice and Rangiku was taking notes on it. “You’re right. I shouldn’t just settle for what someone can buy me. I like bubbly. I’m not too into drinking real hard stuff. I do like sake.”

“Hmm, that can be arranged, Miss Matsumoto. I can revive Miss Inoue. Mister Hisagi can get in touch with his roots and Ulquiorra will have to just be odd man out,” she laughed as she reached the doors that led outside.

Rangiku laughed. 

***

Ulquiorra didn’t even look up as the studio door opened. He was busy listening to what he and Shuhei had recorded. Oetsu and Wonderweiss had left about an hour ago, with the producer saying he would get together with Ulquiorra later in the week for another listen to the song. It was good. It was nothing like the original. It leaned more hard pop than what was originally intended.

“Hello? How’s it going in here?” Orihime called out as the two women entered the studio.

Shuhei looked up first. “It’s-- Whoa.” His eyes bulged as he saw the two women, but quickly snapped to his girlfriend, starting at her bronze legs and working up the baby blue bodycon push-up dress she was wearing. “You… uh… Damn, Ran,” he said, smiling when he got to her face.

She tipped her head back slightly and looked at him with a smile. “Get you a girl who can do both,” Rangiku said. She walked over to him and sat on his lap. “I take it you like it when I dress up?”

“What the fuc--Oh,” Ulquiorra saw the blonde land in Shuhei’s lap before he took off the headphones and looked around. As soon as he saw Orihime he was on his feet. “Woman,” he said, his eyes widening. “Holy fuck you’re hot.”

Orihime laughed at his reaction. “Oh yeah? You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, kind of embarrassed but very happy. “We were inspired by your gift,” she said, twisting her spine a bit and lifting a foot off the floor to show off the shoes.

Ulquiorra sucked in a breath before whistling. “Hnnngh. Vega. You’re all dressed up with no where to go except with me. I’m taking you to the bedroom.”

“Don’t you have work to do?” she asked, taking a step back, but not in fear - she liked being pursued by him.

“Don’t you dare ruin my work. I’m not done with her, Ulquiorra Cifer. Sit down and listen with your actual brain and not with the one in your pants,” Rangiku said. She didn’t really want to watch these two and their mating dance. “I want your opinion on how Orihime looks. Scale of one to ten.”

“Infinity.” Ulquiorra didn’t sit down. He kept staring at his woman.

“Shu?”

He had to clear his throat and stop his buzzing fingers from trying to poke holes through the blue fabric. “Hmm? What was the question?”

“How does Orihime look?”

It felt like it took an inordinate amount of effort to drag his eyes away from Rangiku, but eventually he managed to glance at the woman in white. “She looks great,” he said, his eyes flying back to the woman on his lap and getting lost in her cleavage. “So, uh, you busy?”

“I don’t know? Orihime? Are we busy? Are you two done working?”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m done working or not. My wife requires my attention,” Ulquiorra said. He held out a hand to Orihime.

“I guess we’re done for now,” she answered Rangiku, with an apologetic glance. 

“I guess we’re done,” Rangiku echoed, smiling at Shuhei. “What’s on your mind?”

“Huh?” he asked, sounding totally dazed. “You, um… wanna wreck that green sofa some more?”

“Excuse me!” Ulquiorra said, turning around to the other couple. “I was going to use that.”

“Let’s go fuck in the pool,” Shuhei whispered in her ear, ignoring the green-eyed man.

Rangiku didn’t have to be told twice. She hopped off Shuhei’s lap and walked to the door. She smiled at Orihime. “Don’t let him ruin anything,” she said to the woman before leaving.

Shuhei followed behind closely, grabbing her ass with both hands before they were out the door. “Are you two seriously going to try to go out in public like that? With _us?_ ” He sounded amused.

“Oh no. I have a special outfit planned for when we go out. It’s a pale pink short strapless dress. Can’t wear a bra with it and I don’t have the right kind of panties to wear with it so I can’t wear those,” she said, smiling. 

“Perfect,” he growled into her ear, crowding her from behind and pawing at her front. “Because this one might not make it to the weekend.”

Rangiku turned around and gave him a stern look. “You break it, you replace it. I like this dress. It’s easy to take off for impatient boyfriends. Do you really want to fuck in the pool?”

“Nah, right here is good,” he said, having found the zipper and pulling it down in the middle of the backyard.

As soon as the dress was loose, Rangiku shoved the small straps off her shoulders and stepped out of her heels, picking them up and putting them on a table before the dress left her body and joined them. “So you like me dressed down but you like it when I look sexy?”

“I like you all the time, Ran. I especially like you naked,” he said, backing her up toward the exterior wall of the studio. He was focused on her and hardening quickly. “What do you want me to do to you, Rangiku? Because if you don’t specify…” He didn’t finish his thought, but licked his lips.

“You know what I want,” she murmured to him, the rough texture of the building at her back. She bit her lip and looked at him with a smoldering gaze.

“You want me to go down on you again?” he asked having reached her and cupping her breasts.

A whine left her throat. “What do you want?”

He lifted a side of her hair and brought his lips down to her neck. “I want to lose myself in you. I am prepared, this time,” he murmured on her skin.

“You are?” She asked her head tilting to the side so that he could have easier access. “Do it Shuhei. I want you to.”

“Turn around, first,” he said, nipping at her neck and then taking a step back.

She didn’t know what to think as she followed his directions. Rangiku turned her back to him and put her hands against the wall, arching her back a bit.

Shuhei stared at her ass and growled, “Hnn, you’re such a good girl, Ran,” putting his hands on either side of her spine and sliding them down, trailing his lips down the center until he got to her tailbone, then followed the curve of her ass, leaving soft bites here and there. As he started to raise himself back up, one of his hands went around her hip to her front, slipping between her lower lips. “I see I have a little ways to go before you’re ready,” he said when his lips returned to her neck.

Oh god. Rangiku squeezed her eyes shut as she tried not to jump at the contact. What he was doing was turning her on. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he said, letting the front of his jeans rub against her ass and his other hand grab one of her tits, “I want you aching for me before I start.”

She knew if she told him that she was already at that point he wouldn’t believe her. Shuhei seemed to know when she was bullshitting him. “Oh,” she said rolling her hips against him, wiggling her hips right on his cock. “I’ve been aching for you, Shu.”

His teeth sunk into the side of her neck and he seemed to purr a deep rumble into her skin. “I want more, Ran,” he said after he released the skin. “I want you to weep for me. I want to possess your consciousness.” The hand on her tit started to manipulate her nipple and he sucked her earlobe into his mouth, rocking his clothed cock against her backside.

Fuck. Never in her entire sexual history had she had someone turn her on this much. Rangiku cried out as his fingers rolled her nipple gently. She moaned as he bit and sucked on her neck and ear. She felt her core pulse just from what she was experiencing. His words were even more of a turn on, making her heart thump. “Shu,” she whined, moving with him.

The fingers between her legs set a rhythm that his hips followed as he breathed against her ear for a few moments. He released her breast and grabbed her face, gently, and turned it toward his, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and kissing her deeply, and with enthusiasm, until he couldn’t breathe. Then he turned her around and brought the fingers that had been between her legs up.

They were coated.

“Do you know what this is?” he asked, staring into her eyes.

“My desire for you?” she answered, glancing from his hand to his face.

He smirked at her and brought his fingers to his lips, licking them off and shaking his head. “This is my favorite flavor,” he said, bringing that same hand to his pocket and pulling out a condom.

Rangiku eyed the packet he held and then looked at him. Shuhei wouldn’t hurt her. He loved her. “Wreck me,” she whispered to him.

He pulled his dick out of his pants and put the condom on without difficulty this time. “Hold on,” he whispered, before picking her up by the ass and pinning her against the wall. Once she was firmly wedged, he let go with one hand and lined himself up, and then pushed up into her slowly.

Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs tightened around his waist. As soon as she felt him slide into her, Rangiku’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes squeezed shut. She had to trust him. “I love you,” she murmured as she hid her face in his neck. 

He noticed her mood shift and stilled, taking the hand that he had lined himself up with to rub her arm. “I love you, Rangiku Matsumoto. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said in a tender voice. 

He waited for her to breathe and then tried to look at her. She wouldn’t budge. “Ran?”

“Hmmm? I’m just trying to get used to this. It’s been a while,” she said. After flexing the muscles in her thighs and trying to wiggle her hips, she brought her head up. “I know.”

He looked into her eyes and smiled at her. “I’m with you. Take your time.”

“Go slow?” She said before kissing him and running her fingers through his hair. “I’ll tell you when I want to get fucked hard.”

“Just look at me,” he whispered, kissing her lips gently as he pushed more deeply into her, nearly choking on his own breath as he did. “I love you,” he whispered again as he seated himself into her about halfway. That was as far as it would go today, he decided.

Was she nervous? Yes. She hadn’t been with him since August and getting adjusted to his size again took several minutes. Rangiku hissed as he began to pull out, feeling pleasurable friction radiating from her pussy out to her limbs. “Shu, god you’re big.”

He chuckled voicelessly. “Sorry,” he said, kissing her again. “I can’t help it.” He began to slide back up into her, even more slowly than he did the first time, watching her face carefully for any indication that she was not enjoying it.

Her fingers tangled into his hair, keeping her eyes on him. Rangiku bit her lip, letting a soft moan leave her throat. The slow heat was building in her muscles but she knew this was just the beginning. This was their fresh start. “God. I love you. Ohhhh,” she breathed. His cock felt nice as it the head moved across her walls. The blonde shifted her hips, trying to help him.

“You want to set the pace, baby girl?” he asked his eyes narrowing fondly. “I’ll support you. Otherwise we can go lie in the grass if you’d prefer more control?”

“I’m good, just trying out my new seat,” she said. “I’ve never have had sex like this,” Rangiku admitted.

He smiled at her. “I’ve never had it _quite_ like this either.” He hissed as she lowered herself onto him. “Damn. You’re going to kill me one of these days.” Despite the fatigue that was promised to his arms, he let go with one and reached between them, bending his spine so he could duck his head down just enough to get a nipple into his mouth as his hand lifted her breast. He loved it. He could suck on her tits all day. They were perfect to him. Heavy. Firm. Supple. And the way her nipples tightened to indicate her stimulation turned him on faster than anything. His breath labored and his cock started to throb as he did it.

She cried out again as soon as his mouth was on her tit. She kept making noise each time he touched her. Rangiku flexed her thighs, moving with him. She wanted to feel every inch. Her stomach tightened with each roll of her hips. “I don’t want to kill you, just drive you crazy,” she whispered to him.

He let her breast fall from his mouth and he latched onto her neck again, careful not to mark her. Between kisses and bites, he murmured, “Mission accomplished. I can’t wait until the day that I can bury myself in you and fuck you until you can’t see straight.”

She giggled. “I think you’ve done that already but I would welcome another chance—fuck. Shu...this feels good. Fuck me, please.”

He pushed in and out of her at a moderate pace, making sure not to go any deeper than the predetermined level, his breath increasing and blowing against her skin as he went. “God Ran, you feel so good. You’re so perfect to me.” He sped up a bit, chasing his bliss. It was frustratingly far away. He had to remind himself that he was doing this for her; that he loved her.

She let go of his hair with one hand and put it on his shoulder, digging her fingertips into the cloth of his T-shirt. “Grass, chair, I don’t care. I want to ride you.”

Thank fucking christ, he thought. He was either going to lose control or lose strength, doing what they were doing for much longer. His head whipped around and he saw a patch of grass that the dogs typically avoided and carried her over to it, then set her down and got onto his back. “I want to watch,” he said, stroking his cock and letting his tired muscles relax.

If he wanted to watch then Rangiku would give him a show. She got to her knees and spread her lips, letting him look at her before she straddled his hips. Her hips moved, her slit brushing back and forth over the head of his cock. Her eyes never left his face. “Are you watching Shuhei?”

“Like a hawk,” he said, sliding his hands up her thighs and grasping her hips. He wouldn’t direct her movement, but he wanted to feel her move under his hands.

“Good.” Rangiku reached down and took hold of his dick before she sank down. She didn’t stop until he had bottomed out. Her thighs were shaking and the stretch she felt was good. “Oh,” she breathed, barely able to sit up. She had braced herself by putting her hands on his chest.

“Ah,” he cried softly as she enveloped him, his fingers on her hips tightening and his eyes closing despite his best effort to keep them open. He managed to reopen them a moment later, and panting with his mouth open, he begged her. “Please, lover. Please.”

Who was she to deny him? 

Rangiku’s hips started moving back and forth, getting a feel for him before she lifted her ass of his thighs and truly started riding him, tits bouncing with each thrust. She was barely holding back her orgasm, wanting to come with Shuhei. She wanted to feel him throb and pulse inside of her. A shudder went through her body. “You’re so good to me Shu. I love you.”

His hands came up to palm her tits and he squeezed them firmly. “I love you, baby girl. You’re doing so good. You look like perfection on top of me. I want you to let it go and come on me. Do it. I want to feel your body drink me dry,” he said in breathless tones.

His words. His sounds. His touches. His cock inside of her. The way he called her that pet name. Rangiku couldn’t hold on. Pleasure broke through the wall she had built. Her entire body quivered on him and she felt more wetness between her legs. She was coming on him hard.

“Yes,” he growled, his eyes opening wide as he watched her move on him, flickering from where they were connected to her face and back. He let go of her tits and watched them shake as her body trembled and she came, and he grasped her hips and thrust into her when she began to lose power. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, Ran, fuck! Fuck me, Ran, Hnngh,” and then he snapped, filling the condom and holding his breath, until the high broke and he exhaled, his body going slack.

“Mrghfmm.” It was not a word. It was as good as she was going to get at the moment, though.

She slumped against his chest, breathing hard, not caring that they were outside or that his cock was softening inside of her. They had time to clean up. Right now Rangiku wanted snuggles. “I agree,” she mumbled, taking one of his arms and draping it over her.

They lay like that for minutes, until Shuhei got his breath back under control and he felt like he could move without falling back into a zombie state. He was so sleepy. “Um, Ran? You chilly?” he murmured, rubbing her back and trying to sit up.

“Hmmm? Yeah, kinda. I should get dressed,” she said, voice sounding relaxed. She got to her feet, legs somewhat wobbly but she managed to walk to where she had put her clothes.

She didn’t know what he was doing when everything went dark for a moment, until her head popped out of the top of his t-shirt and he helped her get her arms through the holes. After that was sorted, he pulled it down so it covered her hips and stood behind her, bringing his arms across her stomach and pulling her back to his bare torso. He buried his face into her neck and murmured, “I love you.”

Oh. Why were her eyes filled with tears? What was this feeling in her chest? Her brain registered it as happiness. “I love you. I want to make you the happiest version of yourself, Shuhei. You make me happy.”

He chuckled and kissed her cheek, squeezing his arms around her. “Well, you’re doing a great job, Ran.”

***

Ulquiorra was grumbling. “I’m gonna burn that patch. I’m gonna burn the wall,” he sighed. “Are you done being nosy?”

“It wasn’t me, it was you!” she complained, rolling her eyes. Here she was, still standing in the sexy dress Rangiku had dressed her in, and he had gotten too distracted by the live show outside to notice her. She was miffed. “Don’t worry, they both want to move, anyway,” she said, watching as Shuhei led Rangiku by the hand back inside. Once they were out of sight, she exhaled. “Okay, I’m hungry. Let’s go order a pizza or something, it’s late.”

Ulquiorra kissed his wife and pulled her close. “Do you remember being that much in love with me that nothing else mattered? I remember it.”

Pain that made her chest feel cold seemed to pull at her breastbone. “I _am_ that in love with you. I don’t have to remember it.”

“I’m not talking about the beginning. I’m talking about when you moved in here and we got together,” he said, breathing against her ear and neck. “I’m more in love with you now than ever. You are my entire world, Orihime. If I could I would marry you again. Will you record a song with me?”

Tears welled up around her lower lids and she nodded. “Yes.”

“I promise to make love to you when they’re asleep or something. Nice and slow… with those shoes on.” He took her hand and shut out the light of the studio.

***

The rest of the week flew by as Rangiku finished filming Orihime’s “glow up”, making sure each piece would work perfectly for the redhead. She had to keep Ulquiorra from tearing the woman’s clothes off several times, threatening to do him bodily harm if he even dared. He would stomp off to the studio or something. 

She sent the footage off to Rose, asking him to make it pretty and put it together. She also asked Akon to make her a new intro for it. Both of them agreed.

Then Bazz’s text came in. Rangiku researched all of the places he listed and decided that Euphoria would be the best place for them to go. It was a tried and true place, definitely A-list and the cameras would be out. 

Perfect. Everything would go off without a hitch.

But...

Ran was a bundle of nerves. The thing with Shuhei in the backyard, she loved it. She wanted more of him like that, but she was tired of being ridiculed or mocked by Ulquiorra. He had sex all the time with his lovely wife. Why wasn’t she allowed to enjoy being close to Shuhei like that?

Then it occurred to her. Perhaps Orihime got jealous. Maybe Ulquiorra was mocking her and semi-bullying her so that she would leave. Hmmm. This would be something to think about. So on Friday morning before Shuhei got out of bed, Rangiku left him a note that she was going to do some shopping. 

In reality, she made appointments to look at several apartments on the other side of the city near Monrovia. It wasn’t her preferred place, but it was cheap… ish. She also looked at places in San Bernardino and Redlands. How the hell did people adult? She didn’t know how the hell people could pay rent. Buying seemed a much cheaper option.

However, with the price tags these places boasted, Rangiku could get a well worn house for under two grand a month.

The problem was that she was trying to be frugal and it didn’t seem like a good idea to get a place that was almost sixty miles away from her boyfriend. 

Rangiku really felt that she could relax more if she didn’t have to worry about roommates. 

She drove back to Malibu, stopping at a gas station to fill her car up when she got a text from Bazz. She rolled her eyes at it.

**Bazz:**  
Yo, am I gonna see you tonight or what? 

She didn’t want to text him. She didn’t want to cause problems between her and Shuhei. She knew what would happen if things like that were entertained. 

  * Maybe. We’re bringing a group out! You should join us if you can find us.



Vague. Good.

After her stop was done, she rolled home, well to the Cifer’s house, and walked inside after pressing the gate code in. Ash was sitting on top of the refrigerator and she meowed when Rangiku walked in.

“Hi,” Orihime said. “Find what you were looking for?” She didn’t know what Rangiku was looking for, only that she left to find it.

A frown was on Rangiku’s face. “Nope. It just means I’m going to have to keep looking or substitute what I wanted. A nice choker would go great with my outfit tonight, but I can’t find one that suits me or is in my price range or isn’t gaudy.”

“Do you want to borrow something of mine? We can go downstairs and see?” Orihime offered. Anything to distract herself.

“It’s fine. I’ll just recycle some jewelry I have. How are you this morning? Are you ready to reveal the new Vega Highwell slash Orihime Cifer? Rose said last night he was about done putting the video together,” Rangiku said. She got herself a bottle of water and then scratched Ash’s head when the cat was in reach.

“Okay,” Orihime said with a grin that was slightly too wide. “I’m fine, I’ll be ready by the time it’s time to go. I sent Isane out with a list; do you prefer Dom Peri or Cristal?”

Her mouth moved to the side and Rangiku thought about it. “I’m going to go with Dom,” she said. “The nerves are normal. You’re about to put yourself out there in the spotlight and drag Mr. Grumpy too. He can’t be too thrilled but you are doing this for you, Orihime, right? You’re doing this to prove that you’ve still got it and can flaunt it?”

“I just want to make Mila Rose eat her words. That’s what it’s all about. I think I’m going to go rest for a bit before it’s time to get ready,” she said, turning to go down to her room.

“If you need any help, let me know!” Rangiku said to the redhead. Once Orihime was gone, she went to stare out the dining room windows. And sigh… Loudly. Had she saved her money and invested it wisely or something she could have a nice place like this. Had she just gotten off her ass and worked harder she could have all the nice stuff that celebrities had. She had become too complacent with Gin, thinking eventually they would be together and he would pay her way in life. 

Knock, knock bitch. Life was at her door and it was suddenly hard.

Shuhei was not sure about this plan for tonight. He knew it would be fine, but he’d never been to a club like this, and now that the day had arrived he was feeling a bit intimidated. He was still just face-tattoo guy. He was an ex-con who baked cupcakes and played some guitar. He wasn’t A-list. He took a deep breath and looked in his closet. 

He didn’t know what the fuck to wear.

“Ran? Heemz? Ran and/or Heemz?” he shouted.

“Coming,” Rangiku said, hearing her boyfriend’s voice. It didn’t take much for her high heeled feet to turn and walk down the hallway. “Yes, Lover?”

He looked at her with a twisted-lip pout. “I don’t have anything to wear. All the cool kids are gonna make fun of me.”

“Awww my nerdy bunny. What do you mean you don’t have anything to wear?” she asked and then pointed at his closet. “You have plenty of clothes. What happened to those jeans you wore on The Rumor Mill?”

“They’re right there,” he said, gesturing to a pile of somewhat folded clothes on the floor of his closet.

A tsk came out of her mouth and Rangiku walked over to the closet, bent over and started picking the clothes up. “Hmmm. Well, how do you want to look? Do you want to show off your body? Do you want to be mysterious? Do you want to just be yourself?”

“I want to look like I deserve to be standing next to you,” he said, biting on his lip.

Hmmm. She knew what Shuhei was hiding under his clothes. His body was nice and sculpted. Rangiku threw the armful of clothes she had picked up onto his bed and then turned around to the closet. She started flipping through hangers. 

“Nope. Nope. Nope. Hmmm. Maybe. Nope. Ah ha!” She had pulled out a plain thin white t-shirt. “This with those jeans and… Did you ever buy new shoes? Do you have nice shoes?”

“Um, well, yeah, I’ve got on sneaks but I need a new pair?” he joked. “Just kidding. I did eventually get those ones I left at the store. And, um, I mean I have lots of boots, but is it boot season? I don’t even know.”

A little shiver ran through the blonde woman. Her boyfriend in boots and jeans and nothing else. Hnnngh. “You could wear boots,” she smirked at him from over her shoulder. “It might get you a blow job if any of them are black and maybe leather.”

“They’re all black and leather,” he replied. He didn’t realize boots came in other colors. Except maybe neoprene and neon, like moon boots.

“Yum,” she purred. “Okay, so what do you have in way of jewelry? Anything silver? Anything maybe… rose gold? No? I can tell by your face that’s a no. Okay. Hmmm.”

“I mean, I have stuff from the tour. Like leather cuffs and braided cords. There might be a necklace or two in there. It’s all on the box on my dresser. Oh, and there’s some kind of religious medal in there from my late grandfather.”

“When you get some time, go get a set of cheap dog tags with your name or something on them. Something you like etched into it. Dog tags are a good thing. Get maybe a chain or two.”

“Oh, I have my Uncle Ken’s. He served.”

“Oh. Well, a watch would serve you well as an accessory. But for now. Let’s see what’s in this box,” she said with a smile.

“Have at it,” he said, shaking the wrinkles out of the jeans and then setting them to the side before walking deeper into the closet to look at his boots.

Rangiku walked over to where the box sat on top of the dresser. It was a nice looking box; all wood with a clasp. She took it over to the bed and sat down near the headboard, opening the top. Sure enough he had black leather cuff which would do nicely and some thin braided cord bracelets. She set those off the side and then pulled some more stuff out. 

Her eyes widened as she reached the bottom of the box. Then Rangiku’s brows furrowed, creating twin creases near her eyebrows. 

Why? 

Why would Shuhei have a picture of himself and Orihime, and another one of himself, Orihime, and that Kira guy? She swallowed hard. What if Shu wasn’t over the redhead? What if he was just biding his time with her, telling her things and waiting for Ulquiorra to fuck up? 

What if Ulquiorra wanted her out of there so that they could all be buddy-buddies again?

She didn’t think Shu would do that. But his words about the other woman came back, digging into her brain. She was his savior. She helped him. Rangiku put the box with the pictures in it to the side and stood up, smoothing her face out into calm expression. “I, uh, put those bracelets to the side, you can look through the rest to see what you want to pair up,” she said. “I’m going to go and get something done. See you in a bit.”

“Hey, wait,” he said, coming out of the closet and stepping into her space. “I haven’t seen you all day and now you’re just going to split on me without a kiss? What’s up with that?” he said, smiling at her and reaching for her chin.

“I’m just down the hall,” she said, carefully moving her head away from his hand. “You need to finish deciding what you’re going to wear. If we get into this right now, you’ll never be ready. I have to go check on whatever Ulquiorra’s going to wear.”

“If we get into what?” he asked, brows knitting. He could tell something had happened in the minute or two that he was in the closet. 

“This; us.” Rangiku gave him a smile and took several steps away from Shuhei. “I’ll be back as soon as I get Ulquiorra sorted out to--talk.” It shouldn’t have felt this bad just to see a picture, but it did. Shuhei looked incredibly happy standing next to the woman. She turned and hurried down the hall to the stairs, deciding to check Ulquiorra’s office. If he wasn’t there, Rangiku would just slip into Orihime’s walk in closet and hide.

Shuhei watched her leave and scowled. This was no good. And what the fuck was she running off to Ulquiorra for? What was it with those two? They acted like they hated each other, and yet…

_Fuck._

He felt like an idiot. He dropped the stuff in his hands and put on some sneakers. He walked through the house shouting, “Princess! King! Donnie! Walk!”

The three canines came zooming through the residence, hopping at the man’s feet and whining with whipping tails as they waited to be leashed. As soon as it was done, Shuhei was out the door with a slam.

Of course Ulquiorra wasn’t in his office. She crept down the hall and heard voices behind the master bedroom door. She heard Shuhei call for the dogs and she heard the door slam. She sat on the bottom step and ran her hands through her hair. Rangiku blew out a breath. She couldn’t back out of this without getting hurt. She was in too deep with her feelings concerning Shuhei. She loved him. She slept beside him. She told him things; things that only her therapist had heard about. 

It took her several minutes to calm down, but she went upstairs to her room. She decided to put on some music and relax. It was a nice afternoon, so Rangiku opened the sliding glass door. She sat cross-legged on the bed, with her back straight and closed her eyes. She had to remember what Doctor Zommari said. 

Just breathe.

There was no Gin in her world. There were no abusers. There was only her and she was a whole person. Then the music started filtering in through her eardrums. The words were tugging at her heart and Rangiku couldn’t help humming along to the melody. When the song was over Shuhei’s rendition of Stitches started playing.

All Rangiku did was make him crazy. Yeah, she gave him orgasms, but she never helped him. She hadn’t done anything to save him. Pulling her knees to her chest, Rangiku looked out the door she had opened and stared at the ocean in the distance.


	48. Chapter 48

He didn’t get it. He really didn’t fucking get it. What was it about Ulquiorra fucking fuckface Cifer that made otherwise perfectly nice women absolutely incapable of staying away from him? First Nel - no wait, she wasn’t nice, but she _was_ crazy and overly attached to the green-eyed man. Then Orihime. Now his “girlfriend”. Well. If she wanted to be second to Ulquiorra's mood swings and video games and secret plots with porn stars, best of luck. Shuhei didn’t need his heart pulled out of his chest again.

He was walking like a man on a mission, trying to outpace the darker thoughts kicking around his brain. Rangiku walking around Ulquiorra's house dressed in practically nothing, trying to catch his eye. She was living in that house alone with him for two months or whatever. They were probably fucking the entire time. What a fucking asshole.

And what a dumbass he was. What was he to Rangiku? Just some cover so that Orihime wouldn’t get suspicious? Wasn’t it Grimmjow who said Ulquiorra didn’t have a prenup, so there was no way he’d ever divorce her?

This was bullshit. There was no way he was going to this place with them tonight. 

He needed to get out of the house. He felt sorry for Orihime. He had noticed how she had been growing melancholy recently. She must have suspicions. 

He had to stop. Traffic. Red lights. He clenched his jaw and looked down at the dogs. He would miss them. They were good dogs. But he couldn’t stay with Mister Boner and his harem of sad women. Maybe Ivan had a spare room he could crash in until he found a place. It was a good idea. He’d call him when he calmed down.

“Come on, pups,” he said, turning around to head back to the house.

***

It was well past the time to take a shower. She couldn’t do it. It wouldn’t change anything. Something had changed, and despite this “Operation Glow Up” or whatever she wanted to call it, Ulquiorra hadn’t noticed her more. If anything else he was noticing Rangiku more and more frequently. She couldn’t eat. She couldn’t sleep well.

It was happening again, wasn’t it? Like with Nel. Like with Mila Rose.

She could demand to see his phone, but what good would it do? She didn’t want to be the kind of wife or significant other who had to enforce loyalty. She wanted to be with someone who gave loyalty to her freely and without prompting. There was no way she was going to be able to go to this thing tonight, she thought, as she pulled the covers over her head and wondered where her dog was.

***

Ulquiorra had been hiding out in the studio for days. He finally knew what direction he wanted to take his musical career. He wanted to record. He wanted to sing. He’d gone through Wonderweiss’ entire catalogue of songs, looking at ones that spoke to him. Ones that would speak to his wife. She seemed different.

He knew she looked different. It was subtle. The make up; the hair. 

He didn’t know what she was getting herself in a bind for just because some washed up porn star was throwing shade. Orihime was gorgeous. She could wear a flour sack and still be gorgeous.

He knew about this trip to this stupid club. He didn’t like it. He didn’t want to go out, but Orihime needed this. She wanted to prove people wrong. She was a pop star. There was an expectation for her to be social.

Making his way up to the house from the studio, he walked into the dining area and then to the kitchen. He hadn’t eaten all day. He looked at the fridge and then went to the pantry where those nasty shakes were kept. He didn’t feel like eating solid food. It seemed like a hassle to cook something, chew and swallow it.

So he stood there, leaning against the counter looking at this container, wondering why the hell people saw the need to change. Sometimes change was good. Sometimes it was bad. 

The change of adding Shuhei to their household had been good and bad. Having that blonde bimbo here was bad. Orihime was unhappy with Rangiku here, but perfectly fine with Shuhei. He scowled at the box in his hand. These thoughts weren’t productive.

By the time Shuhei got back home, the hottest part of his anger had died down. He had moved on to resigned defeat. When he got into the house and unleashed the dogs, he spotted Ulquiorra in the kitchen. His nostrils flared at the other man and he scoffed, shaking his head as he stomped to his room. Well, what was his room and still had his shit in it. It was time to start packing.

Ulquiorra glanced at Shuhei and then scowled. Who the fuck did that guy think he was? He decided to find out. “Hey, Shu. What the fuck?” he asked as he walked down the hall to the male’s room. He heard Rangiku’s door open but Ulquiorra didn’t care about her.

“That’s what I’d like to ask you, Cifer,” Shu asked, throwing a duffel bag onto his bed next to the box that Rangiku had left there. “How long has it been going on? Since Valentine’s Day? Since before?”

“What? How long has what been going on?”

“Oh, don’t try to play dumb with me. I bought it with Mila Rose. I’m not falling for it this time.”

“Dude, I have no clue what the fuck you’re on about. I’m not playing dumb,” Ulquiorra said, coming to stand on the other side of the bed. 

“Oh, come on,” the older man’s voice was loud now. “You and Ran. The way you can’t keep your fucking eyes off of her. The way she’s always sneaking off to talk to you privately. The way Orihime is getting depressed because she knows and can’t do anything.” Shuhei stood up and stared at the homeowner. “How many women are you going to steal from me?”

Ulquiorra let out a laugh. “What the fuck kind of drugs are you on? Me and Ran? As in that trash heap bimbo that lives in my guest room? That Ran? Of course I can’t keep from looking at her, she fucking puts everything out there. She doesn’t fucking talk to me anymore. I’ve not spoken to her since uh… Well when you all decided to fuck in my my yard. I mocked her.”

“Oh and I bet you’re really torn up about it too, aren’t you? Well guess what, buddy? I love her. She’s not trash. You just can’t leave them alone, though, can you? You can’t stand anyone not focused totally on you. You want a gaggle of pathetic little simpering Orihimes who sit around and cry because you don’t pay enough attention to them but never fucking see the light. I can’t-- You’re an asshole.”

Ulquiorra snarled. “Are you calling my wife pathetic? Rangiku is trash, asshole. Of course since you’re fucking you forget about Gin, haven’t you? Ever wonder where she sneaks off to during the day? I know she’s not working. I love my wife and I would do nothing to jeopardize what I have with her. Your girlfriend is a whore.”

That was fucking it. Shuhei lunged over the bed, stepping on the springy surface and landing on the side where Ulquiorra stood and grabbed him by the collar. He put his face right in the other man’s and growled, “I DARE you to say that again. My girlfriend is  _ not _ a whore. She is everything to me and you--” he shook his head, his emotions were stirring his thoughts in contradicting directions and none of the dots were quite connecting. “You would never jeopardize your relationship with Orihime?! Ha! Nel. Mila Rose. Your new obsession with Rangiku. Nemu! Do I need to go on?!”

“Unlike you, I don’t fuck groupies. Ran is a whore. She fucked people for money. You’ve stuck your dick in a porn star. Get over it. I love Orihime and I don’t care about anyone else. I’m not trying to steal her away. I don’t even fucking like her. I tolerate Rangiku,” Ulquiorra snapped. “In fact the faster she finds her own fucking place the better.”

“I’m sure. Then you don’t have to keep coming up with excuses to Hime why you can’t stop eye-fucking her!” Shu pushed him away, and Ulquiorra’s ass landed on the bed, knocking the box that had been on his dresser over. Shuhei didn’t notice. “You take it back about Ran. She’s done things in the past she isn’t proud of. So have you, unless you take some sick, twisted pride in “One Wild Night”,  _ Quinn _ .”

Ulquiorra was about to fucking kick Shuhei in the face when something landed on his hand. He looked down and saw a photograph… No a polaroid. “Yeah? What about you and my wife? Is that why you’re here? Is that why she’s depressed, because you’ve got a girlfriend?” Ulquiorra flung the photo at Shuhei then got off the bed. “Maybe you shouldn’t throw stones at glass houses, dick. I love my wife. I wouldn’t fuck Rangiku Matsumoto. Ever. Even if I was fucking drunk.”

With that Ulquiorra turned and left the room, stomping down the stairs to his own room.

Orihime had heard the angry shouting between the men upstairs but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. When Ulquiorra flung the doors to the master bedroom open, she didn’t know what was going on. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Is everything alright? Fuck no,” he yelled and grabbed a decoration off his dresser and threw it. “He has fucking pictures with you. How long has this been a thing? He’s accusing me of fucking that bitch upstairs when I can’t even stand her. How long?”

“How long what?” she asked, backing up slightly on the bed. He was scaring her. 

“How long have you been sleeping with him? Is this the reason why you’re so sad and want to change things because he has Rangiku shaking her ass in his face and you want him to notice? I’ve noticed. The makeup, the hair, the shopping trips. I know you’re not trying to impress me because you don’t have to impress me. I fucking love you with my entire fucking heart. My entire world revolves around you, but if you fucking tell me you’ve been sleeping with Shuhei Hisagi… I don’t know… Life… I don’t know.”

“What the hell are you saying? I’ve never slept with him! And don’t lie to me! You can’t keep your eyes away from her! She’s not even trying to impress you and you can’t stop looking at her! I am doing everything I can possibly think of to get you to pay attention to me but everything else takes precedence! If she’s not here you’re on the internet or in the studio or playing video games. The other night I--” her voice was choking her a bit now, “--I came down to your studio to try to get you to notice me and all you did was watch her fuck him. What am I supposed to think, Ulquiorra?”

His nostrils flared as he inhaled. “It’s kind of hard not to notice when she looks like she’s a fucking slut. No one needs to wear the shit she does. And yeah I watched. I wanted to see what fucking train wrecks they are. She’s trash. Shuhei is a--They deserve each other. I pay attention to you all the time. I just don’t do it the way he does. I’m in the studio trying to put together an album so that I can make money so I can help support us and our dreams. I’m on the internet seeing what people are saying about us; about you; about me. I play video games because that was the one thing we fucking shared but since we’re fucking adults I guess we’re supposed to give up our fucking hobbies and sip wine and talk about who has the bigger fucking house and the smallest fucking bank account. I have no fucking interest in Rangiku. As far as I’m concerned she’s just trying to con Shuhei into paying for her way in life!”

“You have got a lot of fucking nerve, Ulquiorra! You let your parents pay for everything. It was your mother’s money that bought this house! So you don’t get to stand there and judge someone else for how they make ends meet. We have money coming out of our ears now. It’s great that you have dreams. It’s great that you have hobbies. I’d like to share them with you but you’re always too busy with your little fart bros to invite me to join you. You’re too busy watching Ran get busy to fuck me. You say you only have eyes for me but you admit again and again that you can’t stop watching her! This is California! People wear skimpy shit all the time! There is a beach full of bikinis five hundred feet from our fucking house and you can’t handle a woman wearing workout clothes? You are full of shit, Ulquiorra.”

“So are you! At any time can you sit beside me and show interest. Sorry I don’t find socializing to be a fucking hobby. I hate it. You’re so fucking worried with your image and what people are saying that you can’t enjoy any of our money. Instagram isn’t a fucking hobby. Nel did this. She told me my hobbies were stupid and petty. I had to always go along with what she wanted. I have fucking eyes woman. You don’t fucking see me ripping off Shu’s head for eye-fucking you. Do you want me to fucking just stay in our room and never go out?” Ulquiorra sighed and sat down on the floor. Somehow all this fighting left him exhausted.

“I don’t ask you to socialize,” her voice was quiet now that he seemed out of steam. “Rangiku and I planned this one night of going out so I could try to get some of my self-esteem back. You encouraged it. I don’t-- I want to--” she started to cry and put her face in the blankets. “I want your obsession with Ran to stop. It’s been over a year now. Plotting behind my back. Meeting with porn stars in San Francisco. Living with her here, alone, while I was on tour. What am I supposed to think? I just want my husband back.”

He shook his head. “I just wanted to drag her name through the mud. I just wanted to stain her name like she was doing to mine. The obsession has been gone. I--I helped her like you helped Shu, but guess what? That’s going to stop. They both have three fucking days to leave. I’m done being the nice guy. I’m tired of being a fucking half-way house for broken bitches.” Ulquiorra sighed. “The fact that you think I enjoyed staying here instead of being with you is ridiculous. I practically lived on this floor while you were gone. I always locked the fucking door at night. I wouldn’t help her while she fucking screamed. In fact I’ve thrown the baby monitor at her a couple of times to get her to shut up. Should I have just turned my back on her? Should I have told her too bad, so sad?”

She raised her head and looked at him. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know, but you’re right. This living situation isn’t working anymore. I think three days is a bit harsh but we should help them find new places. I know Ran’s already looking.”

“No. She has three days. Shu can have a week. After that they’re fucking out of here. I don’t give a damn.”

***

Rangiku was glad she hadn’t brought a lot into the Cifer’s house. She just had two suitcases, her purse, a trashbag full of short dresses and a tote full of swimwear. Oh, and Ash. She had Ash. As soon as she heard the guys fighting she scrambled around her room, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt with sensible shoes and gathering her things. By the time she heard Ulquiorra yelling at Orihime all she had to do was take the belongings out to her car. So she did that. The tote and the suitcases went into the trunk of the BMW. The trashbag was thrown into the backseat. She had to catch Ash and put her in the carrier and find her small bag of food that was stashed in the pantry. She made sure the room was cleaned before she walked out into the hall with the cat’s container and her purse. She was fighting with the keyring when she broke a nail, cursing at the fact that once again she had gotten too comfortable somewhere. She always seemed to do this.

When the key to the Cifer’s home was off her keys, Rangiku picked up her cat and the other stuff and went outside to her car, making sure that Ash was seatbelted into the passenger side. There were a lot of angry words being thrown around today. There was a lot of tension in the house. It had been that way ever since she had attended that party that Orihime threw.

Maybe it was time to disappear. Maybe it was time to move on and go back to New York. She didn’t know. 

As she turned the ignition over, there was a tap at her window.

Rangiku swallowed and pressed her fingers into her temple before she pressed the button that would roll the window down. She turned and looked at Shuhei. “Hi,” she said.

“Wherever you’re going, can you take me with you?”

“I’m going to spend the night in a parking lot, so sure, I guess,” she said, before turning her head to look out the windshield. “I don’t know why you’d want to with everything you and Ulquiorra said. I heard it. I was standing in the hall when you two started yelling. I’m just making things easier and leaving without a fuss.”

“Yeah, well, can we leave together? If you heard us, you heard me say that I love you. You heard…” He sighed. “Please tell me I’m wrong. Please tell me I’m being a jealous asshole.”

Rangiku put her head against the steering wheel and sighed. “You’ve been wrong. You’re a jealous asshole. Why the fuck would I want to destroy them when I want a relationship like they have? Why the fuck do you have photos of you and Orihime still? I can’t compete with her, Shuhei. I’m not that. I’m me. I’m a pathetic and broken, sad woman… Just like you said.”

“No, I said Orihime was pathetic and sad. Not you. You are my glorious warrior woman, Rangiku. I’m sorry. You were fine when I went to look at boots and when I came out you were cold and going to talk to Ulquiorra. He can’t stop looking at you. I-- I feel like you’re too good for me, Rangiku. That’s why I asked you to help me with the clothes. I don’t want to go out with you and for you to realize what a loser I am compared to you. When you said you were going to help him.... That’s what I thought you had decided. That he was better than me; he was worth your time and attention.” Shuhei sighed and took a step back from the car. “Please tell me I’m wrong, Ran. Please.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “You are wrong. I love you. I care about you. I want to be with you but the way you look when you’re with Orihime--That photo--” she shook her head and tried to take a deep breath. “You’re too good for me. I’m the loser who doesn’t have a job or a career and everyone fucking hates me because I’m Rangiku Matsumoto who will drag your name through shit just for some likes, comments and subscribers.”

“That’s not true, Ran. I love you. I love you and the only reason I have those pictures is because they remind me of the first time I thought that maybe there was hope for me. It didn’t have anything to do with her. She was part of it. Kira was part of it. My guitar was part of it, and to a degree Ulq was part of it, and everything all together at once. I was hopeful for the first time since I met that asshole that got me thrown in jail that maybe there was a chance for a loser like me; maybe I could make something of myself. I’m sorry it hurt you to see that, but that’s what those pictures mean to me.” There were tears sneaking out of the inner corners of his eyes as he revealed his most vulnerable feelings to her, but she was worth it. He wanted her to know him and understand.

“I still can’t stay here Shu. I’m not wanted here. Orihime and Ulquiorra don’t want me here. I saw those pics and all I could think about was you weren’t over her. You were here in this house because you were waiting for Ulq to fuck up and I was just something to pass the time with. A pretty face.” Rangiku started crying, her hands gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. 

Shuhei opened the door and pulled her out, unbuckling the seatbelt and then sat on the driveway and pulled her into his lap. “No. No, you’re wrong, baby girl. I love you. I love you, and I have to get out of here, too, because if you think that for one minute, it’s not worth it for me to stay here. I want you to feel safe and secure with me, Ran. If Orihime is going to stand in the way of that, I will drop her.”

The tears came out harder. He shouldn’t have to swallow his pride or push people away for her. She was nothing.

“Besides, I think I better hide for awhile because I think, technically, I assaulted Ulquiorra,” he added.

“The punk deserves it.”

He smiled and put his arms around her tightly. “This is good, Ran. This is good. It was fun while it was okay, but it’s time for us to have a place where we can fuck on all the surfaces and not have sad mom and mad dad on our asses. I just… I hope we can all be friends again. This is all a big fucking misunderstanding.” He shook his head. “I called Ivan while I was out walking the dogs. He has a guest room we can use for a couple of days until we find something else. Want to help me pack?”

She looked at him with red eyes and a blotchy face. “Wait, we? Us? You’re… are you asking me to move in with you?”

“I mean… I need a place first, but I kind of thought…I assumed we would be together,” he said, a bit cautiously.

Rangiku pulled Shuhei’s head down to hers so that she could kiss him. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand,” she said.

“Let me get some stuff. I have a feeling that whatever I leave here is going to end up in the Pacific, he said with a shaky chuckle.

“Okay, I’ll help pack. I mean… All my shit is in my car. The rest is already in storage,” Rangiku said and stood up. She held a hand out to Shuhei but knew it was impossible to actually pull him up. “Wait… Can we get an actual house? Like with big closets? Or at least a place bigger than my last apartment and room? If, you know, we can afford it?”

He smiled at her and shook his head. “Ran, I’m a big star now. I can buy us a house with some closets. Maybe even a kitchen. Or a garage,” he teased.

“Wait again… I want to help. I don’t want anyone to pay for me anymore,” she said to him. “We’re together in this.”

“I tell you what, I will draw you up a real lease. Month to month, so you can’t just leave me,” he said, tickling her side. “That’s how I get you!”

She squirmed away from him. “We have things to pack dude, unless you want Ulq throwing shit into a pile and setting it on fire. C’mon we can get this done, find a nice seedy motel to have makeup sex and then go to Ivan’s. But I swear to god… If Grimmjow says anything to me, I’m kicking him in the balls.”

“Same, gurl, same,” Shuhei said, standing up. “You might want to let Ash out while we do this, it could get hot in your car.”

Rangiku got the cat and took her back inside but left her in the carrier. All the dogs just sat around the thing like they were pulling security and the animal was the most dangerous thing around. Ash meowed angrily while she and Shuhei worked on packing his stuff up. No one came upstairs to talk to them when they were going in and out.

“I am glad you came to harass me. I would have forgotten my bath stuff,” Rangiku said as she got her little basket of bottles together.

“Okay, you grab that, I’ve got to get my guitar out of the studio and I’ll meet you back at the cars,” Shuhei said as he walked through the living room, trying hard to avoid looking at the ‘couple goals” pillow or the portrait in the breakfast nook with him, Orihime, Ulquiorra and the dogs. This fucking sucked. It hurt. He grit his teeth and went outside.

Orihime waited until she saw the door close and then crept up to the guest bedroom area. With a tearful voice, she said, “Ran? Are you in here?”

She almost dropped the basket she was holding. A sigh went through her. “Don’t worry we’re getting the last of our stuff out. I made sure my room was cleaned. The sheets need to be washed,” Rangiku said, giving the redhead a half-smile.

Orihime walked to Rangiku, hiccuping, and put her arms around the woman’s waist, hugging her tightly. “I don’t want you to leave,” she whimpered. “I know you have to but I don’t want it. Not like this.”

Rangiku sighed. “Well, your guy hates me and everyone thinks I’m sleeping with him and I can’t stay; not after what he said about me. Sorry. I don’t know why you’d think I want Ulquiorra when Shuhei has always had my attention, Orihime.”

“I don’t think you want him, Ran. I think… I thought… I don’t know if he wanted you, but he is fixated on you. I know it wasn’t reciprocal. You’re my best girlfriend, Ran. We were supposed to rule the town tonight. We were going to…” She sighed. Rangiku knew what they were going to do. It would have been glorious. “My failures as a wife are not yours as a friend, Ran.”

“Hyperfixation is one of those OCD things. I know. I get the same way with things. I don’t have it as bad as Ulq, but like my makeup has to be organized and--It’s not important. He wanted to destroy me because I called him out for his bullshit. I came to him because even if he told someone about me and what I was going through, no one would believe him,” Rangiku said. She was partially joking and cracked a smile. “Thank you guys for everything but it’s time I moved--we moved on. I grow too comfy in places and before you know it seven years have passed by and I’m nowhere. Maybe in a few weeks we can paint the town red, yeah?”

“It’s a date, Ran. I still want to help you with your show. Even if it’s just making introductions. But it’s so fun… I would love to come along sometime and hangout behind the camera.”

The blonde woman smiled and gave Orihime a one-armed hug. “I have to get this show off the ground first. I do want to talk to Nan and Isane about glowing up. They need it more than you.”

“They could use it,” Orihime chuckled, wiping her eyes. “And, you know, if you need anything, anything, be it a lift or an ear or an angel investor in a show or something, call me. Text me. I’m going to miss you being my right hand woman, Ran.”

“I’m going to miss you too. I miss your cuddles sometimes,” Rangiku said.

“BOOF.”

“MREWWWWWW.”

Rangiku laughed. “However… I will not miss Prinny. As much as she is an awesome dog. She makes Ash a nervous wreck. I’m taking King with me though.”

Orihime laughed again, not taking the threat of pet abduction seriously. “You guys have a place to stay, right?”

“Ivan’s, I guess. I was just going to drive to an all night gas station or I don’t know,” Rangiku said with a shrug. “Thank you guys, really. I appreciate it.”

Orihime nodded and cleared a path. “Me too. Say hi to the other family. Tell Shu I say bye. I hope to see you both again soon.” She smiled and nodded and then turned to leave. She couldn’t do this anymore, it was just too fucking sad.

“Hey, Hime?”

“Yeah?” she answered, not turning around.

“Call me anytime and I’ll take you out on a date. You’re like a sister that I never had.”

Orihime turned and smiled at Rangiku, “Same,” she said.

***

Shuhei crossed the property to the studio. He tried not to look at the pool or the ridiculous giant guitar floatie. He tried to avoid all the memories he had made in this house. When he got to the studio, his fists were balled as he fought to keep any of these sad feelings from getting to him. He was on his way out. He and his girl were moving on to bigger and better places. 

Why did it feel so bad?

He shook his head as he entered the studio and spotted his guitar. It was still sitting out on a stand, so he leaned over to get the soft case off the ground and started packing it up.

“You’re leaving already?” Ulquiorra asked from the door. He’d been on the other side of the building trying to take his mind off what everyone had said tonight.

“Yeah, we can’t stay here,” he answered, not looking at the man.

Ulquiorra nodded and sat down in one of the chairs. “I’m sorry man. I shouldn’t have said that about her. I know if someone said that about Orihime… well you know...”

Shuhei scoffed quietly and shook his head.

“I did punch you. I mean if you want a free shot, I’m offering.” Ulquiorra sighed, “You’re the best dog walker ever. I’m sure King is gonna miss you. This was all a misunderstanding. I wanted you and Ran together, but I wanted to tear her apart. I offered her a place to stay so she wouldn’t go off the deep end. I never wanted her. I never looked at her like that, dude.”

Shuhei froze where he was. He had to take deep, calming breaths. When he finally thought he could say it without losing his shit, Shu sat back on his heels, still looking at the guitar, and said, “You have to let this go. If we all never let go of the things others did in the past to hurt us, after they’ve shown change or growth, there would never be any happiness. Orihime would never have married you. You’d never have your baby sister. If you can’t drop this vendetta against Ran, then you’re no better than Gin.”

“It’s dropped. It’s done. My marriage is more important than getting revenge. If it wasn’t for Ran, I wouldn’t have Orihime. If it wasn’t for her calling out every little fuck up I did, I’d be alone right now and you probably would be with Veggs,” Ulquiorra said. “I wish you guys happiness and if you find a place let me know so I can have your couch delivered to you.”

Shuhei sniffed and stood up, slinging the guitar onto his back. “I guess this is it, man,” he said, finally looking at him.

Ulquiorra was a mess. He didn’t give a fuck. He stood up and offered his hand to Shuhei. “I never did thank you for helping Orihime. I guess with Ran I was just trying to pay you back for that. You helped my woman. I helped yours, you know?”

Shuhei thought that Ulquiorra must have done some mental gymnastics to arrive at that conclusion, but he nodded and took the hand that was offered, shaking twice. “I better go. I don’t want to wake up Lore if we get there too late.”

Before he let Shuhei’s hand go, Ulquiorra pulled the man into a hug. “Take care, okay? You’re welcome here anytime to jam. We still need to work on that song. I’ll let things settle for a couple of weeks before we get back into it though, if that’s cool with you.”

Shuhei took a deep breath and patted the man on the back awkwardly. “Sure. Sounds like a plan. Say goodbye to Heemz for me, will ya?”

“As long as you tell Ran I apologize for being the world’s biggest asshole.”

“Okay. See you,” Shu said, backing away and leaving the first home he knew in California.


	49. Chapter 49

Orihime cried herself to sleep the night Rangiku and Shuhei left, taking all their belongings with them and not leaving a trace that they had ever lived there except imperfectly made beds.

When she woke up the next morning she felt terribly lonely. Before she even opened her eyes, she knew. She knew that when she went upstairs, there would be no sounds of a shower running or poorly held notes from Rangiku’s throat. There would be no eggs frying or “Morning, Heemz”. It would be silent apart from the sounds of dog claws on hard floors and the occasional canine mouth breathing.

Ulquiorra would probably still be avoiding her; this time with a vengeance. He had been angrier with her last night than any time she could remember since they had been married. She wasn’t angry, though. She was just sad. Sad and depleted. This Mila Rose thing and the subsequent bandwagon of internet talking heads and fashion police talking poorly about how she looked had done a real number on her self esteem. The timing had been awful; just coming off of a long, grueling tour had left her in a tired, vulnerable state. Add to that mix Ulquiorra’s on-again, off-again indifference toward her, and she was feeling very, very low. 

She had nothing to do that day. Maybe she would go to the bathroom and go back to bed.

Ulquiorra laid beside Orihime, noting that she was waking up and rolled over to look at her. He didn’t want this anger or this tension to be in his house. He didn’t want it in their relationship. It had been there for a while, seeping into the cracks. He hadn’t been happy since he came to Los Angeles. A sigh left him, not wanting to think about the events that had happened up until now. Right now he had to repair his relationship with his wife. “Good morning,” he murmured to her.

She was mildly surprised at being addressed, and opened her eyes, not seeing much beyond the gray sheets. “Morning,” she replied.

“Are you okay?” he asked, not sure how to ask her for forgiveness and unsure if he even deserved it.

“No,” she answered, her voice soft, as her eyes closed again.

“Orihime, will you please look at me?”

She rolled over and reopened her eyes at him.

Ulquiorra gave her a smile and tucked some hair behind her ear. “I am the world’s biggest asshole. You should kick me out. You should be mad at me. I’m sorry. I said some pretty nasty things last night to you and to Shuhei.”

She was quiet as she recalled his words. They were nasty; especially what he had said to Shuhei. “You meant it, though, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Which part?”

“All of it.”

“Some of it I did,” he replied. “I wish I could take it back, though.’”

“You can’t. None of you can. I can’t.” She exhaled heavily and closed her eyes. “They’re never coming back,” she whispered, feeling her sinuses prick.

Ulquiorra scooted closer to Orihime and wrapped an arm around her. “Give it some time; I’ll apologize. Right now everyone needs to cool down, Veggs. I didn’t mean to make you feel insecure. As a husband that makes me a shitty person.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. She was still convinced that despite really not liking Rangiku as a person, he definitely wanted to fuck her. Besides Ran, he would pay attention to Orihime when the mood struck, but she didn’t feel his eyes on her anymore and he frequently ignored her. She felt very insecure. She swallowed but couldn’t think of a response.

“I love you. I hope that you know that I do love you. I wouldn’t have married you or taken care of you if I didn’t. I wouldn’t care so passionately about you,” Ulquiorra said to her, rubbing her back. “I know I’ve been distant. I’m sorry. Every time you walk into the room, you take my breath away. I see only you. I just wanted our house back to the way it was without the people. I just wanted your attention focused on me and not me and Shu.”

“I don’t understand,” she said. She really didn’t. His words and his actions were misaligned. “If you wanted my attention, why did you avoid me?”

“You didn’t want me looking at Rangiku, so I avoided situations. I have eyes; I’m going to look at people. You and Ran were usually together,” he replied. “I didn’t want Shuhei here, but I allowed it to make you happy. I know he’s your friend and well, he’s mine, too, but at first, I didn’t want him here. I didn’t want to disrupt our little bubble. I wanted all of your attention. I didn’t want Shuhei to get any of it.”

“Are you thinking you still want a baby? Because that is going to take attention away from you,” she exhaled and shook her head. This was beside the point. “Anyway, I’m sorry that I need to talk to other people besides just you. I need other viewpoints and ideas. If I only focus on you, I lose myself. I become your reflection.”

“Having a baby has nothing to do with us at the moment. It’s not even a thought in my brain. I like watching people, you know this. I need to assess them. I look at them. Do you really think I would go after Ran like that? Do you think I find her attractive?” 

“Not emotionally, no, but she’s like, every man's wet dream. So yes, I think you are attracted to her,” she admitted, opening her eyes and looking at his face. She was sure he’d deny it, but his face might show the truth.

Ulquiorra could barely hide the disgust, his lip curling; nose wrinkling. “She’s not mine. I don’t like blondes. I don’t like overly fake people. The only person that turns me on is you. Did you notice the night they had sex on the lawn I didn’t get hard? In fact my libido disappeared for a couple of hours that night. I can’t stand her, Orihime. If I don’t like someone, I don’t find them attractive. It’s plain and simple. I’m only attracted to you.”

It still wasn’t adding up to her. “But why did she continue to rely on you? Why did she look to you for comfort? Why did she constantly seek you out? I didn’t know what you were giving her-you are good at hiding things from me-but you had to have offered her something she wanted or she wouldn’t keep coming back to you.”

“I offered her the truth. I didn’t sugarcoat anything. I was brutal and savage to her. I didn’t bullshit her. If you think that I have an interest in her or that I’m attracted to or that I offered her something, you’re wrong,” Ulquiorra replied. “I gave all that to you and there’s no more to give.”

He was saying all the right things. They just weren’t reaching her. She knew it, too. “Okay. I… I’ve had this idea growing in my head for a long time. I dismissed it and ignored it. I told myself that I was imagining it and that you’d never do that to me. But…” she closed her eyes so he wouldn’t see her crying _again._ “I couldn’t deny it anymore for the past few weeks. The idea has been torturing me.”

“You made it an issue and assumed things, although I made it clear I wanted nothing to do with Ran. Why would I want someone who I mock all the time or that I yell at? That makes no sense to me Orihime.”

“I know you hate Shakespeare, but _the lady_ -or sir, in this case- _doth protest too much, methinks._ ” She took a breath. “You spent so much energy, negative or otherwise, on her that you didn’t have any for me. At least not anywhere close to your normal levels. I had been gone for six months, and you got over me being back in as many days. I don’t feel like number one.”

Ulquiorra sighed. “Dick jokes and twaddle,” he said. He rolled over, bringing Orihime with him. “It’s done. Shu said something to me before he left that made me realize it’s not worth it. So, it’s dropped. I’m done thinking about the wrong doings. I’ve already made an appointment for us with Doctor Tsukishima and I made another appointment with Doctor Zommari for myself next week. Usually I only see him twice a month, but you’re right. I spent too much negative energy on Ran.”

She nodded. “Okay. When is the appointment? And what did Shu say?”

“My appointment is Thursday and ours is Friday,” Ulquiorra said. “Shu said I have to let the bad stuff go or I’m no better than Gin. He said if I didn’t let it go that there would never be happiness or something. I just know he said something about you never marrying me and it made me pull my head out of my ass and take a hard look at myself.”

Yeah… She was going to miss having camp counselor Shu around. She nodded. “Do you want some breakfast?”

“No. I want to lay here and hold you and tell you everything is going to be okay and we’re going to get through this.”

Another nod, this one tearful. “Okay,” she said, putting her arms around his body and tucking her face into his chest.

“Good, after we’re done with this I would like to take you out to breakfast,” he murmured to her. “Let’s throw on some clothes and go shopping, have breakfast or brunch, and let’s enjoy each other, okay?”

“Okay,” more nodding and holding him more tightly. She loved him so much. She had been so scared that she was losing him. She felt safe to let go of some of that now, and it expressed itself in extreme clinginess. She hoped he was prepared to have her hanging off his arm and always having a hand on him for the rest of the day.

“I love you Vega.”

***

“Wahhhh! Wahhh! Waaaahhhh!”

Shuhei put his pillow over his head and wished the world would go away. When they arrived at Ichigo, Grimmjow, and Hailey’s the night before, Ichigo had insisted they have a drink and explain what was going on. It led to several drinks, and although nothing got too crazy, Shuhei was feeling tired and drained and not loving life at the moment. “Morning,” he grumbled to the blonde lying beside him.

“Morning,” Rangiku said, stretching and reaching her arms above her head. “I guess that kid says it’s time to get up.”

“Hailey said she’s teething and to expect more of this,” he muttered. “What do you have going on today?”

Rangiku turned and snuggled up to Shuhei. “Nothing, why?”

“Well, if this keeps up, maybe we can go get brunch and scour the real estate listings. What do you think?”

“Shu,” Rangiku said with a bit of caution. “You were talking about that and I don’t know. We just started being together. This hasn’t been going on long. I don’t want you to offer me a place without thinking about it. I mean are we going to be living together or two roommates? I’m not sure what you meant when you said that.”

He lifted the pillow off of his head and dropped it, letting his head settle back on the surface. “Rangiku, you think too much. First, I need a place to live. Second, you need a place to live. Third, you are working your butt off - don’t deny it, just because it’s not profitable yet doesn’t mean it’s not work - but you probably don’t have the funds available to get something decent. You should be investing in your work now, anyway. It makes sense for us to just get a place and live together. What have we been doing the past couple of months, anyway?”

He paused to smile at her and said, “I know we just started going out. I know you might want to stretch your wings and be a boss bitch with your own place to run your own empire. I’m cool with that. But for now, I want to get a place that my girlfriend helps me pick out, and I want her to stay with me until she decides what else she wants to do. You cool with that?”

The words he was saying weren’t making sense to Rangiku. Why would she move in with him and live with him only to decide she didn’t want to do that? “I guess. I’m just… I can get a decent place and I have some money. But living together we had Orihime and Ulquiorra there as a buffer. It wasn’t just us. There was someone else around. I just… I don’t want you to regret this. I mean I can ask Shinji or Rose if they can put me up for a few days while I figure stuff out. I’m sure I could--” No, she couldn’t live in her storage unit.

His brows knit and he rolled into his back, putting his hands behind his head. That stung. She didn’t want to live with him so much that she would resort to leaning on anyone except him? What’s next, she going to call her manager or Gin and offer them favors for a place to crash?

He rolled his eyes behind closed lids. This line of thinking was not productive, and it wasn’t true. Still, his pride was wounded. “I offered, Ran. If you want to do something else… Go ahead I guess,” he said, sitting up and putting his feet on the ground. “I gotta piss. See you out there?”

“I guess,” she said quietly. Even after Shuhei left the room, Rangiku didn’t move. She wanted to live with him. She wanted to do that whole domestic bliss thing. They weren’t there yet as a couple, though. They were trying to still get a feel for each other. It had only been two weeks. She knew there were some couples who moved fast and it never worked for them. The blonde knew that one tiny thing could shatter relationships.

She was still feeling unsure about the whole situation with Shuhei and Orihime’s photo. It felt like he was hiding it. Maybe he was pulling it out and looking at it when she was asleep or gone. She had no clue.

But… Rangiku knew she didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to wake up in the middle of the night screaming and sweating without someone there. She hadn’t really had that problem since she started sleeping beside Shuhei. Whenever she started whimpering or crying, his arms would go around her and he’d murmur some soft words to her and she’d close her eyes. A sigh ran through her as she laid there.

She knew two things. One, she loved Shuhei and didn’t want to be without him. Two, she was fucking scared that she felt this much for him. It was overwhelming. It was exciting.

However, she didn’t want him to offer her a place just because she had nowhere to go. She was going to mull over this more when there was a bang against the door.

“Get your lazy ass up, Blondie. You’re going through baby training today.”

Rangiku rolled her eyes at Grimmjow’s voice. “I’m busy!”

“Also, I’m keeping your cat.”

That made Rangiku climb out of the bed in a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. She walked over to the door and flung it open to see Grimmjow holding the kid and her cat. “Traitor,” she said to the cat who looked at her with an unimpressed glance.

“Take Lore for me. Please.”

“I--I--I don’t know how.”

Hailey’s head popped around the doorframe.“It’s nothing. She thinks she’s eight months going on eighteen years. Just talk to her about stuff. She likes touching faces. We’ve, uh, we gotta go,” she mumbled, giving Grimmjow a sexually loaded look.

Rangiku didn’t get a chance to protest as the little girl was pushed into her arms. The baby pushed a wet fist into her mouth and started slobbering on it as her parents walked away. “Have fun, I guess.”

Grimmjow just waved before he turned the corner, following the other woman.

“Hmph. Well,” Rangiku said, holding the baby out in front of her and taking her over to the bed. The woman laid Lorelei down and the baby immediately rolled over and pushed herself up on her arms.

“Ahhhhh bababababa mmmaaaaabummm!”

“I don’t speak baby,” Rangiku said.

Shu had seen what was going on in the living area; Grimmjow and Hailey had been trying to one-up the other with innuendo and the tension between them was rising. Then Ash had jumped onto Grimmjow’s lap, and it must have given him ideas. Shuhei had set his cup of coffee down and followed at a distance, sighing when he heard Rangiku’s comment.

It was comical.

“No? Really? _You_ don’t speak baby, Baby?” he said with a chuckle, reentering the guest room.

“Ha, no I don’t.” Rangiku looked at Shuhei before she grabbed the kid who was trying to roll off the bed. She got screamed at for it. “Look, little lady, your dad is kind of scary and I don’t want him yelling at me if you fall off something and hurt yourself.”

“Ah ah ah!!!!”

“Lorrie? Lore? It’s Uncle Koo,” Shuhei said. The child seemed to make that sound when she wanted his attention.“Did Mama do your hair today? It looks very pretty,” he said to her in a sing-songy way. Lorelei rolled over onto her back and started garbling with her hand in her mouth, her eyes animated as she appeared to tell him a story.

“Oh, yes, I get it. Yes, Mama is very gentle with the brush. Oh yeah, Dada doesn’t know how to do it and Papa isn’t very careful and tugs a bit, right?” Shuhei looked at the baby with a stern expression and nodded, taking this conversation very seriously. “Right. I’ll talk to him about that. Lorrie’s hair is very important, isn’t it?”

Rangiku took a deep breath and tried still her heart. Shu was being very adorable and it was making her envision a future where there was a miniature of them. No, she didn’t want kids. She didn’t want the responsibility. “Do you have any siblings?”

Not looking away from the baby, Shu shook his head. “No I don’t,” he answered in the singsong voice, furrowing his brow when Lorelei seemed to complain about something. “Oh, yeah. Poops are the worst. Does your tummy hurt? No? Good, because Uncle Koo doesn’t know how to change diapers.” He changed his tone of voice to something more adult and casual, addressing a question to his girlfriend, “Do you?”

“No. My parents detest each other I think,” she said watching as the baby kicked and giggled. “I’m it.”

“That is no good,” he commented, picking up Lorelei’s feet and doing bicycle motions with them. “I never met my Dad. He and my mom were never married. She says I got his name and his eyes and that’s about it.”

“It is what it is. My mom met him during a trip when she turned of age. She’s some kind of researcher and he’s got a doctorate in some kind of math. They thought they could make a super smart kid or something. I don’t know. They just seem to be together for the hell of it. Maybe to make each other miserable. I look mostly like my dad with my mom’s coloring. My dad always complains and my mom says it’s genetics. I kind of miss talking to them.” Rangiku sighed and held her finger out to the baby. When the girl took hold of it, Rangiku shook it gently. “I want to live with you Shu. I just don’t want you to do this and then regret it, you know?”

He shook his head. “The only reason I would regret it would be if we broke up, and if we broke up I would regret the break up, so I don’t really understand why you’re focused on the living together part. If regret is going to happen, it will happen either way. You can’t avoid it if it’s coming,” he said.

“I know, but I want you to be sure of this. Maybe we need a two bedroom, just so we have our own space?”

He slid his eyes over to her with an unimpressed smile on his face. “Ran. Please. I’m not wasting money on a one bedroom place. I am getting something nice that I can stay in and spread out in for at least a few years. I gotta have space for my mom and Rich to come stay, although I could do without Rich, to be honest.”

“Rich? I’ve heard you mention him once or twice,” she said, glancing at him and then turning her attention to the baby.

“Yeah, he is a decent guy and he seems to make my mom happy. Not like insanely happy, but you know, she’s kind of a force of nature and I think the best kind of companion for her is just someone who keeps her grounded and gives her something comfortable to come home to. There is really nothing wrong with him, but he is such a snooze fest. And he didn’t approve of me during my wilder days. He’s a retired cop and all his friends are cops, so they told him everything I’ve done. He’s into woodworking though and works as a handyman. I did a few side jobs with him when I lived there.”

“I thought boring people would be up your alley,” Rangiku teased Shuhei, giving him a smile. “You don’t seem like a bad guy. You just got mixed up with the wrong people, just like I did.”

“Yeah. As you know, though, it doesn’t matter. People make their own conclusions. As a cop, he tends to skew conservative. He has come around, I think. It’s hard to tell. Even when I know he didn’t like me it was hard to tell. He doesn’t talk much.”

The woman nodded. She knew that all too well. She leaned over and kissed Shu’s cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about last night. Instead of making my own assumptions, I should have asked you about the photos. It just felt like… You talk about Orihime like she’s some kind of goddess and you worship her and I’m sitting over here like a toad. She’s famous and I’m about to be a nobody.”

“Oh please,” he said, grinning at her. “You are the goddess. Orihime is like… She’s like…” His nose wrinkled as he thought about how to put this. “She’s like an evil fairy. She looks cute and sweet, and sometimes she is, but… There is also this bossy, ball-crushing, terrifying side of her.” He shook his head a laughed. “Ivan and I would talk about it on the bus. He’s not as gay as he seems. People apparently used to kind of ship him and Heemz at school and he was like, “Oh, hell no. Back away slowly. Too bitchy. Too short. Too bossy. Too serious”.” He looked back at Rangiku and sighed in a content sort of way. “She isn’t juicy and mysterious and alluring like you, Ran. I don’t worship her. She might be a guardian angel at times, but you’re my goddess, Rangiku Matsumoto. I only set offerings at your altar,” he said, blushing at the nerdy vibe of what he was saying.

She blushed too, cheeks flaring with color. She felt stupidly in love with this man. She was head over heels in love. “I love you, Shuhei Hisagi.”

“I love you too, Rangiku Matsumoto,” he said, returning the small smile she offered.

“KOO!”

“I love you too, Lorrie,” he said with a chuckle.

“So after her parents get done playing house, did you still want to do brunch and real estate?”

“Yes. I need to have my mind focused on getting out or little miss thing down here will adopt me, won’t you, Lorrie?”

After the baby babbled about something, Rangiku laughed. Being around the Cifers made her want a relationship. Knowing herself, the more she stuck around this place, the more she would want kids, and that was not happening. She was all for moving. She hadn’t had peace since February. Being alone with Shu might bring quiet back to her world.

“So… do you want to check on them or should I?” he asked, praying to all gods known to man that Rangiku would offer. He didn’t want to know what was going on.

“You coward,” she said laughing again.

“It’s that or you can stay here with Lore,” he said, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

She pried the baby’s hand off her own and stood up. “Fine, I’m going.”

She checked on Hailey and Grimmjow… The blue-haired man answered the bedroom door naked. Rangiku screamed and practically ran back to the guest room. “They’re almost done. Cleanup,” she told Shuhei. “Grimmjow’s hair is blonde. Did you know this?”

“Augh, I do now!” he whined. “Why? Why would you do that to my poor brain?”

“Because I had to view it and someone needs to share my pain. It’s like white blonde. Like… why? Why color your hair blue? Is Ichigo really a ginger?”

“Yeah. Apparently most of his family is French and Scottish. He has like one Japanese ancestor a couple generations back, but he’s a product of that male line, hence the name. Why, do you think it looks fake?”

Rangiku shook her head. “No, just curious. So I’ve seen Orihime’s crotch, yours, Grimmjow and Hailey’s… I think I’m good on my friend’s privates.”

“You’ve seen Hime’s? And not Ulq’s? How did this happen?”

She gave him a look and then rolled her eyes. “She was trying on clothes. Some of those dresses you can’t wear with undies. It’s not like she sat with her legs wide open. It was a flash. Duh. I’ve seen her boobs too.”

He had to try to push the mental image of the two well-endowed women spending naked time together from his mind. There was a baby present. Still, he had to shift a bit and then tried to change the subject, “Is she a natural ginger?” he asked. Not what he meant. Ugh.

“I dunno. She doesn’t have hair anywhere on her body except her head,” Rangiku said with a shrug. She turned to her suitcases, bent over, and unzipped one.

Fuck. Fuuuck. He watched her ass as she bent over and imagined things he had no business imagining. “So, you mentioned you did a porn? Any chance you have a copy? I mean, for uh… informational purposes?”

“For reasons? For science? No, I didn’t get a copy. I’ve told you the title of it,” Rangiku said and stood up to look at him. She smiled at him. “Why? Gonna let me watch you jerk off while you watch some woman eat me out?”

“Yep,” he said, staring at her intently and shivering.

Rangiku giggled and went back to rummaging through her clothes. Yeah, it was going to be a good day to tease him. “Well maybe I can join you in the pleasuring yourself thing then,” she murmured, wiggling her hips.

He took the baby and put her on the carpet so she wouldn’t roll off the bed and walked around to the other side of it. His hands grabbed Rangiku’s waist and pulled her ass to his crotch. He bent over her back and whispered into her ear, “I will watch you do that to yourself any time. No promises to keep my hands to myself, though,” he whispered, reaching one had around her front to her tit as he thrust his clothed cock against her ass a few times.”

The blonde straightened up real fast. “Now, now lover. We don’t want to give Lore the impression that we’re bad role models. I also don’t want to destroy this room. You know. Holes in the wall made by the headboard. Sheets ripped. The bed broken.” Rangiku giggled, and kissed him. “Brunch, houses, _then_ me and you.”

***

Shuhei had mapped out a few open houses and showed Rangiku at brunch. “You know LA better than me. Which of these locations are better?”

“You don’t want this one; Burbank isn’t really LA. This one is south of the airport but it’s right on the beach. Hmmm, did you want to stay around Malibu or did you have a type of neighborhood you want to live in?” Rangiku asked, looking at the screen of his phone. It seemed Shu had put some thought into this.

“I like all these, but I prefer something that feels homey and residential, where Shelly would feel comfortable. My plan is to one day have her retire in it when I can or need to upsize.”

“Upsize?” Rangiku asked and raised a brow. “Uh, the Agoura Hills one is out. I cannot… no… It was where--Nevermind. Um… Uh...” She had narrowed the search down to four houses. “Out of these which one pleases you? I like this kinda retro modern, five bedroom. It has seven baths, pool and the property is gated. There’s an attached garage. It kind of looks like the Brady Bunch house with more windows though.”

“I like this one,” he said, pointing out a traditional, almost colonial place. It looked like something out of the Chicago suburbs, with a strong 80’s teen movie house aesthetic. There was a pool in the back and even a wooden jungle gym with a slide and swing set. “If we’re ever friends with Ulq and Hime again, they could bring the dogs,” he said. “Or I can get my own.”

It looked dowdy, but Rangiku couldn’t complain. Shuhei wasn’t a flashy in your face celebrity who needed a huge mansion to impress people. She couldn’t understand the jungle gym or the swingset. “Do you have kids already?”

“No! Why do you ask?” He was befuddled.

Ran pointed at the playground equipment. “Seems strange that you’d want a house with this stuff in the backyard. The only dog that could fit on that would be Adonis. I was just wondering. We’re getting to know each other and you’re the same age as me…”

“Do _you_ have kids already?” He had assumed not but he didn’t know.

“No, never. I’ve always made sure people wore protection if I wasn’t on birth control.”

He visibly relaxed. “Well, our friends have a kid. They might have more. It would be nice to have something that would keep them occupied while the grown-ups are visiting.”

Rangiku noted his reaction. Did she look like someone who had gotten pregnant? She had no stretch marks or anything like that. “True. It’s a nice place for a family-ish vibe. Are there any photos of the inside?”

“Yeah, look,” he said, passing her the phone.

She took it and began swiping. It looked like something off of a Disney sitcom until she got to the interior photos. This place looked just like her apartment but way bigger. There were walk in closets and rooms. The living area was bigger than her apartment. The master bath was bigger than her bedroom at the Cifers. Had this place had patterned wallpaper and paneling, she would have steered Shuhei towards another home in the area. The gray color scheme looked inviting and if they were going to be together for a long period of time, there was always the chance they could put down new flooring. “I, uh...” Rangiku blushed a bit. Jesus she was so lame. She could imagine her bed against that dark grey patterned wall. She could see herself filming It’sRan episodes in the place. She wouldn’t have to leave after she was done. “I like it,” she finally said, handing him the phone back and putting her head on his shoulder.

“Same. We can make the open house if we leave now.”

“Okay,” she said, smiling at him.

***

“I’m gonna put an offer in on this place,” Shuhei murmured to Rangiku’s ear as they followed the realtor around the house in Tarzana. He stood back up to look at her reaction.

“What? Are you sure?” she asked, whispering the question to him. She had fallen in love with the house even more as they walked through it. “I love it. I really do. But this is a big commitment Mr. Thinking is Overrated.”

“I want this place. If I change my mind between now and close… I doubt I will. But I don’t want this place to slip between my fingers. Say a wish it gets accepted,” he said, striding up to the agent.

Who was she to stop him? Shuhei had worked hard for what he had. He looked at home in this place with its staged furniture. Rangiku knew she could make it look like it with their own little twists and personality. She silently cheered him on and smiled as she turned around to gaze at the space, secretly glad that she had dressed up to go to brunch. She looked adulty and Shuhei looked respectable.

It took him a bit of time to get the offer drawn up contingent on passing inspection. He wrote the agent a check for ten thousand dollars earnest money, and had to remind himself over and over that it was okay, that it wouldn’t bounce. He’d never made a transaction anywhere close to this big in his life.

Come to think about it, that car he was driving was Ulquiorra’s. Maybe in a couple weeks they could talk and he could buy it off of him.

When it was all done, he walked back to Rangiku with a nervous smile on his face.

“It’s done,” he said. “Now we wait.”

“Congratulations, Baby. You’ve done an adult thing. Relax. If you want it, you’ll get it.”


	50. Chapter 50

Ulquiorra looked at the bald therapist with a frown on his face. “There was an incident this past week.”

“And?”

“Shuhei is gone. Rangiku is gone. I kicked them out. Orihime’s mad at me. She thinks I wanted to screw that whor--”

“Woman. The word you’re looking for is woman.”

He sighed. “She thinks I wanted to screw Matsumoto. I feel like I can’t look at anyone or Orihime’s claws come out. I feel like I’m trapped in one room of my house. Now that they’re gone, I’m moving around the house more but...”

“Have you told your wife this?”

“No. She doesn’t seem to understand that I only want her. That my dick only gets hard for her. She doesn’t seem to grasp this. I watched Ran and Shu fuck because they did it in my yard. My studio door has a glass panel on it. As soon as I saw her ass my sex drive tanked and I wasn’t interested in it anymore.”

Zommari scribbled something down on the pad of paper. “Do you feel like you’re in control of things right now?”

“Now?”

“Now. Today.”

“Somewhat. I’m anxious. Tomorrow we have a couples counseling appointment,” Ulquiorra replied.

“What about the day that you had this incident. What happened?”

“We were supposed to go out on the town for some big reveal for Veggs. She did a mini makeover. I didn’t want to go. I don’t know who she was trying to impress, but as soon as Rangiku and Shu started fooling around, it seemed like her mood dove into the toilet. So I thought maybe she was trying to impress him.”

“Was that the case?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “Shu accused me of sleeping with Ran. Orihime thought I was doing the same thing.”

“You’ve said several times you haven’t,” Zommari commented.

“I know. And I’ve never thought she was sexy or attractive. I wouldn’t try to beam a woman I found attractive in the head with multiple objects.”

“Violence is never the answer. You know this.”

Ulquiorra nodded and sat there for a moment. “Uh, I accused Shu of trying to sleep with or get with Orihime. Then I went to yell at her and all this shit came out. I said things. Things I can’t take back.”

“You’re only human. You can’t let this bring you down--”

“I didn’t eat for twenty-four hours.”

Zommari made a note of this and looked at his patient with a deep frown. It made Ulquiorra uncomfortable how disappointed the man looked. “We need to get to the root of your problems. I want you to start coming every week. You used to before your wife got back home.”

“I know. It’s a hassle.”

“I’m available by phone, text, email. I’ve made myself available to you.”

“I know. I just--I want Orihime to fucking understand. I love her. I do not want anyone else. She doesn’t seem to get that and she slides backwards and I have to fucking jump through hoops to make everything okay even though it’s not my fault...Okay maybe some of it is my fault.”

The man’s brow rose.

“I’ll accept sixty percent of the blame.”

“That’s fair. Let’s talk about this.”

“I know this all started because I chose not to give my opinion on things and let Nel lead me around. I know that. I still blame Maria for giving me fucking mommy issues. Why the fuck does my sister get a happy childhood and I had to suffer?”

“Is that what you’re really angry about or are you trying to throw red herrings at me?” the therapist asked.

Tch. This guy. This fucking guy was always calling him out. “Red herring.”

Zommari gave him a small smile. “Close your eyes, center yourself and then talk.”

So Ulquiorra did that.

***

“Hello Cifers. It’s been a few months. How are things?” Dr. Tsukishima asked. 

Orihime shrugged. “It’s been better.”

The doctor looked to Ulquiorra.

“It’s shitty.”

The doctor raised his brows and folded his hands in his lap, leaning back into his chair. “Are we calling it quits? Are we just having a mood? Your language is very vague. Mrs. Cifer, why don’t you tell me what is wrong.”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t feel secure. I feel like I’m old news; not only with him, but professionally. “

The doctor looked at her dubiously. “Is that all there is to it?”

“Well…” this was hard for her to talk about. She felt like if she gave her fears a voice, it made them legitimate. “I— I— I worry. He’s been obsessed with another woman for going on at least a year now. At first it was because he was angry at her and wanted revenge for smearing his reputation but he kept sneaking around behind my back and then he took her in after she was assaulted and kept… long story short, it feels like she is more interesting to him than I am. She left our house a week ago.” Orihime looked down at her lap.

Tsukishima took a deep breath. “And what do you find shitty, Mr. Cifer?”

“That she accused me of fucking Rangiku. I barely left my bedroom or my office when she was living there with me. Or I was in the studio. When Orihime got home I had to focus my attention on just Orihime or video games or I was in my office or in the studio just to avoid it all,” Ulquiorra said.

“I see. What do you think about your husband confining himself to those spaces?”

“I don’t like it. I feel like he’s avoiding me. I don’t think it’s accurate, though. He’d often hang out in the living room playing video games. He’d watch her every time she was in eyeshot. It was like he couldn’t see anything else.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “You’re delusional if you think that. I only would glance at her to--What the hell do you want me to say Orihime? Yes I fucked her? Do you want me to lie to make you feel better? How many times do I have to tell you? I. Don’t. Have. Any. Interest. In. Her!”

Orihime’s posture shrunk and she looked away from both males, breathing shakily. The doctor was silent as he observed the couple. Finally Orihime whispered, “No. I just want you to notice me more than her. I was gone for six months. After a couple of days, it felt like I didn’t even exist to you most times.”

“Yet, you’re the woman I love. The woman I wake up. The woman I search out in my sleep. The woman I married and the woman I make love to constantly. Do I need to be all up in your business? Do you want my head up your ass constantly? Do you want me to annoy you?”

“You never annoy me. I miss you. I want you. The Kingdom tour was really long. I am still recovering. I just want you to feel the same as me. I feel like I take a backseat to whatever you’re obsessed with.”

“I don’t know how many times I have to say that you’re my world. You’re the center of my universe. I don’t know how many times I have to say and show that I love you. I am obsessed with you. We both know this. We both know it’s not exactly healthy, Orihime, so I try to curb it. What’s the real problem? Is it because some mean girls on the internet say that you look more like a mom than a sex symbol?”

“That certainly does not help! But I don’t like that things between us seem to be changing! I don’t like that you hold back from me!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Cifer, I need some clarification. Mr. Cifer, could you elaborate on your so-called obsession with your wife and why you feel it’s unhealthy?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “Soifon told me that being obsessed with everything Orihime was doing was not healthy. This was when we weren’t together. Even when we were together I would check the internet to see what people were saying about her and what she was up to without asking her. I stalked her… Kinda… except when she got out to Cali, I could see her all the time. When we broke up before her first tour, I stopped doing that. Even now, I constantly think about her. I am constantly looking for information on her or watching her videos or looking at pictures.”

“You understand that your circumstances have fundamentally changed, right? It’s certainly unhealthy to obsess about someone who wishes to avoid contact with you. It drives unhealthy behaviors. But showing an active interest in your wife’s life and activities is something she appears to need. She wants an involved partner. So I must ask you to consider why you are avoiding fulfilling that need. Is it only because of Soifon? Or is it something else?”

The green-eyed man scoffed. “I don’t want her to get tired of me. I don’t want her to tell me that I’m being too much. I don’t want to be accused of being possessive again. All I want to do is worship her and take care of her. But she doesn’t really need me any other way but emotionally. I need her a lot more than she needs me. She’s my reason for living and--” Ulquiorra sighed. He couldn’t say anything else.

“And what, Mr. Cifer?”

“She has a habit of saving people. She makes my day brighter. She is the reason I get out of bed. I love her with my entire being but the way she doubts my feelings and my love… It makes me doubt myself and if it’s just infatuation like it was when we first got together or if it’s more. Orihime,” Ulquiorra said and turned to the woman, “without you, I’d give up.”

Both the doctor and Orihime were silent and thoughtful. It was Tsukishima who broke the silence. “Do you feel threatened by her attempts to save people other than yourself?”

Ulquiorra shook his head. “No. These broken people need her, just like I need her.”

“Alright,” The Doctor said, sounding doubtful. “Mrs. Cifer, what makes you doubt him? What has changed since our last session that might make you feel that way?”

Orihime scowled. “I just said. He avoids me.”

“And you disagree with that assessment, Mr. Cifer?”

“If you keep this up I can really avoid you, Woman. I can’t look at anyone. I can’t do anything. I’ll just sit around and stare at you. Is that what you want? You’ve already got a fucking collar on me,” Ulquiorra said. “No friends because those friends might have women that come around. Oh but you need to be friends with people who annoy the fuck out of you. Those are suitable people.”

“Mr. Cifer!” The tone was a bit sharp. “This behavior is unacceptable in couples counseling. Take a deep breath and think about before your wife’s tour. Did you have friends then? Did they have women? Did your wife react the same way to them, or is this a new situation? You do not have to answer, just think about it.” 

He turned to the woman. “Tell me how you feel about what your husband has said.”

She took a slow breath. “I feel like I felt with Nel. Ulquiorra, you’re saying I make you doubt whether you love me or if you are infatuated? You think I don’t let you have friends? It’s ridiculous. You push everyone away. Ivan. Grimmjow. Shuhei. Me, it sounds like, now. I don’t have a problem with you being around or talking to other women. Your assistant is up your ass all the time and I have no problem with it. I don’t have a problem with you talking with or looking at Hailey. You go over to their house all the time and I don’t even bat an eyelash. My problem is specifically with your obsession with Rangiku Matsumoto. I don’t think you’re in love with her. I don’t think you like her. I am not even sure if you want to fuck her or whatever. I just know that until she left our house, you let her take over your life in one way or another, and our relationship is suffering because of it.”

Tsukishima looked at Ulquiorra. “Are you calm enough to respond?”

“It doesn’t matter if I’m calm or not. We’re paying you to listen to our problems and help. This is a problem,” Ulquiorra said to the guy and then turned back to Orihime. “Veggs, I told you on Sunday that I was done. I told you I was done. I’ve spent almost every moment I have had free around you since then. I’m trying to repair things but you’re resistant to it.”

“Tell her what she does that makes you feel that way.”

“You keep saying I’m obsessed with Ran. You keep saying I’m ignoring you. You keep saying I avoid you. I’ve not picked up a controller since Friday. I’ve not been in the studio working on my new album since Saturday. I’ve not really used the internet since Sunday,” Ulquiorra said in a soft tone to her. “I’ve been focused on you this past week and you’re still saying this.”

“Why do you do this, Mrs. Cifer?”

“I just…” she glanced at Ulquiorra and back to the doctor and back to Ulquiorra. “I’m just really scared that this is happening again. Like after the Aizen thing at OSU. The thing with you texting Nel behind my back and then cheating on me with her at that party. It feels almost identical to that, to me, this whole thing with Ran. I know it’s totally different, but it feels the same. I feel like if I don’t watch out, if I’m not vigilant, I’m going to lose you again. I know you have issues. I know I don’t understand all of them, but…” she closed in on herself and picked at her fingernails. “I don’t know. I wanted you to notice me in the white dress.” Her cheeks colored and she felt very small and shallow to say something like that out loud, but it was the truth. Maybe she was small and shallow, and she wondered if the doctor and Ulquiorra were judging her for it.

Tsukishima really had no idea what Orihime was talking about, and he would have gotten into it, but their time was running short and he doubted it would do much good at this point in their session, so he turned to Ulquiorra. “Do you have a response?”

Well duh. Yes he had a goddamn response. Ulquiorra held out his left hand to Orihime. He wore a simple white gold wedding band. Besides his Hufflepuff bracelet that he still wore and his watch that was his only accessories. “Do you see this ring, Orihime? The one you put on me the day we got married? We started the new year out being a married couple. I pledged my loyalty and my heart to you. You’ve had it in your hands for years now. I need to remember only one white dress and that’s your wedding dress. All the other white dresses are trivial compared to that one. You don’t have to impress me because I am amazed by you every damn day.”

“I want to impress you, though,” she said, still looking at his hand.

Ulquiorra sighed. “I’m telling you that you don’t have to. I was impressed with the pretty white dress you wore. I wanted to rip it off of you and take you right there but our former housemates had to ruin it with their PDA. I love you. I would never leave you. I’ve been transparent with you since the thing with Mila. Ask for my phone and you can look through it. I’ll show you the DMs. I’ll let you listen to the phone calls I make.”

“I don’t want to do that. I don’t want you to feel scrutinized or mistrusted. When I asked to see your phone after the Mila thing, I felt awful. Not because of what I saw, but because I had to do it. I don’t want to be that kind of wife. I don’t want to have that kind of relationship. I want you to know that I need you just as much, if not more, than you need me. You’re the only person I have. You’re my family. I get crazy and scared because without you, I’m alone. With Shu and Ran there it was kind of like having a little expansion of that, but I always knew it couldn’t last, and when you started backing away from me and focusing your negative attention on her, I panicked. You think you need me more than I need you, but it’s always been the other way around.”

Ulquiorra shook his head and leaned over, kissing Orihime. “I love you. I love you. I love you, Orihime Cifer. I’m yours. You have me. We will work through this.”

She didn’t care that they were in a counselor’s office. She got out of her chair and climbed into his lap, hiding her face in his neck and crying.

Tsukishima sighed. “I think you two just need to go on a long vacation. Get away from the things that have been bothering you lately and reconnect without interruptions. You clearly are very much in love and understand that each of you have issues to work through individually and as a couple. You clearly both seem motivated to do that. You’re both just… too close to the things that were causing stress in your relationship. You’re in an enviable position where you can just up and leave for a month. I recommend that you do it soon.”

He stood up and approached the door of his office, interested in getting them out of there. They were making him exhausted today. But then he had a thought. “Before we conclude for today, I have a question for you, Mr. Cifer.”

“What, doc?”

“Have you ever thought about speaking with your individual therapist about having a session or two with your wife to educate her on the nature of your ongoing mental issues? I understand that you are working through several mental health disorders and are making progress, but I believe it would benefit your relationship if Mrs. Cifer was better informed. She might react differently and with less panic if she understood better.”

Ulquiorra looked at the doctor and then looked at Orihime. “Funny you mention that. Doctor Zommari said the same thing.”

***

Rangiku was smiling at the camera. “Hi guys! It’s been a while but I’m back with a new vlog. I’ve been dealing with some stuff. There’s been a lot of changes lately. I had to stop doing the Rumor Mill due to reasons. Um, I’m in the process of moving and I have a lot of stuff to move. I’ve been trying to pitch several show ideas to people, but so far, nothing’s concrete yet. But this is It’sRan and I have some fresh drama for you today.”

The blonde woman tiptoed out of the guest room and into the living room where Grimmjow was sitting at a tiny table with the baby. “Look!” she whispered.

“No, little one, you hold a cup like this,” Grimmjow said trying to help the kid to grasp the cup in her hand. Lorelei just screamed with joy and banged the cup on her tea table. “Fine, princess. Make all the noise you want. Dada is gonna drink his imaginary tea.”

As Rangiku’s camera moved out of sight she came back into the frame. “Isn’t that the cutest thing ever? Who would have thought that Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez of all people would throw tea parties for his and his partners’ daughter. Also, let’s go see what the other big rockstar in this house is doing. Oh Shu-heiiii!”

“Oh ye-ees?” he sung back to her from Ichigo’s piano room.

Her hand appeared first with the phone. “What are you doing?” she asked from around the corner.

“I’m trying to learn how to play this instrument,” he said with a little chuckle. “What are you doing?” 

“Say hello. You’re on It’sRan,” she said finally coming into the room, smiling at him.

“Hello, you’re on It’sRan,” he said like a smartass, grinning back.

Rangiku rolled her eyes and came to lean on the piano. “Well, tell people what you’re doing and how you’re progressing or I will tell embarrassing stories about you.”

“Um, okay. Well, dashing and internationally traveled pianist, tourmate, homeowner, and homeboy, Ichigo Kurosaki, has been trying to convince me that I can read sheet music and make the pretty sounds on this big box of wood. So far I’ve been able to do this,” he said, using one finger to plunk out the melody to “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” awkwardly. “So I’d say I’m on track to becoming the next Mozart, wouldn’t you say?”

Rangiku sat on the bench with him and propped the phone on the music stand and put her hands in position to begin playing Moonlight Sonata. It was awkward and clunky but after a minute or two, she stopped. “I haven’t played a piano in years,” she said.

He looked at her with an adoring smile for a long moment, then had to ruin it. “Yeah, you can tell. You have a ways to go before you reach my levels of mastery,” he said with a chuckle. “We should get one,” he said after she gave him a glare.

“Shhhhh, that’s a surprise for another episode!” Rangiku whispered loudly and then looked at her phone. “That’s all for this episode of It’sRan! Thanks for watching! Say bye Shuhei.”

“Byeeeeeee!” he said, grinning into the lens.

The blonde reached forward and stopped the video before looking at Shuhei and kissing him. She only pulled back because her phone dinged, signaling she had a text message. Her face instantly fell as she snatched the phone up. 

“What is it?” Shu asked.

“Gin texted me. I’m going to have to change my number I keep blocking but the number keeps getting through,” she said. “All they say is I need to speak with you.”

“Get rid of this phone. I’m buying you a new one,” he said in a growly voice.

“I just bought this one. I’d much rather change the number...Wait… Oh hell. I didn’t think of it. If I got a new phone after the attack...” Rangiku’s eyes widened. “How the hell did he...?”

“I have no idea. But I don’t like that he is able to get in touch with you. I don’t like that he was able to find you that time. I want you to think about if there is anything he can track you with. I will replace it. I just don’t want that bastard to have access to you.”

Rangiku looked at her boyfriend with a disbelieving look. “Dude, he’s practically bought everything I own. The car came from his virginity money. The Birkin bag was a Christmas gift,” she shook her head. “Everytime I go somewhere I think I see him. It’s kind of creepy, but it’s just a flash out of the corner of my eye and then it’s gone.”

His face pressed into a frown and he said, “Are you ready for a makeover? Want to have a garage sale? This stuff from him has got to go if you think there’s a chance.”

“I could lose the car, but my bag… It’s my _bag_ Shu.”

“We’ll get you a new one. Sell it. We’ll offset the cost.”

“You say that until you see the price tag,” Rangiku said. “Also, I appreciate the offer to buy me a new phone but I can do it, lover. I’ll change the number first and if that doesn’t stop, I’ll get a new one. However… I’ve been thinking of selling the BMW for a while. I want something more… economically friendly. My car insurance is crazy.”

“Okay, you want to go on Monday? I should look, too. Technically, my car belongs to Ulquiorra. He bought it for me but his name is on the title. I should return it to him or buy it from him, but in the meantime, I should look around.”

“Ya’ll talking about cars?” Grimmjow asked coming into the room, holding the cat. “I’ll give you five bucks for this beast.” He smiled at Rangiku’s eyeroll. “Seriously though, what about cars?”

“We need to go car shopping,” Shuhei said.

“I’m selling my car, wanna buy it?”

“How much?”

“What kind of car do you drive?”

Grimmjow looked at the two. “I’m still pimping the old creeper van. Hailey uses it when she wants to go out with Lore. I want something sleek and that M3 is nice.”

“Pfffft.” Rangiku said. “I can’t imagine you driving a minivan.”

“You mean Heemz’ old van? I can’t believe that thing is still alive!” Shuhei said.

“I had it completely overhauled when we got out here,” Grimmjow replied, petting the cat. “It’s in good shape. How much, Matsumoto?”

“Give me an interview!” she said with a smile.

His blue eyes narrowed at the woman. “Nah,” he said. “What about you Hisagi? Gonna get something nice and shiny with your new found fortune?”

“We’ll see. I might just buy the Mazda2 from Cifer, if he ever talks to me again.”

“Eh, he might. He’s talking about taking Orihime to Austin and then Hawaii. Something about a long overdue vacation,” Grimmjow said. “Must be nice to have a wife that makes more bank than you.”

Shuhei eyed him sideways. He stopped himself from saying what he was thinking, that it must be nice to have a wife, full stop. Not that he was ready for that, but the blue-haired musician seemed to have a lot of envy about his former bandmate’s lifestyle.

“Oh, Ran, can you do that thing you did with Hime to Hailey? Ichi and I kinda want to take her out and show her off. You two can babysit right?”

“I--I--I--No,” Rangiku said in offense. “I’ll glow her up but I don’t babysit. I don’t speak baby.”

“Oh, c’mon, Ran, it can’t be that hard. Besides, we owe them for taking us in while we wait for the house.” Shuhei looked at Grimmjow and nodded. “You guys could use some grownup time. I’ll do it even if she’s out.”

Grimmjow grinned. “Awesome. Let me know about the car, Matsumoto.”

***

“I need a what?” Hailey asked, looking at her glamorous houseguest. “Do those two think I’m a frump?”

“No,” Rangiku smiled at the other woman. “They want you, their hot woman, to become a sex goddess so they can show you off and give you the time of your life.”

“Alright,” she said, raising her eyebrows like she was accepting the idea reluctantly. “If we’re going shopping without the baby, I want a drink. Lore cut a tooth yesterday. She is officially weaned.”

Rangiku smiled. “Great, let’s see what's in your closet so far and then we can decide what we need to get.”

The vlogger was kind of disappointed in Hailey’s wardrobe. “I can understand that you’re a mom, but you’re the woman of two musicians. What did you wear before you got with dumb and dumber?”

“I…” she looked down and exhaled heavily. “I try not to attract attention.”

“Why not? You’re a pretty -no, gorgeous- woman. You’ve got a beautiful smile. Orihime said you used to sing.”

The young mother looked at the other woman with a guarded glance. “Did she tell you anything else about me?”

Rangiku shook her head. “Not really. I would say I’m not one to pry, but I am, but you seem really uncomfortable about this. It’s okay. We can go out and buy you some heels and a nice dress then a haircut and some makeup.”

Hailey sighed and straightened her posture. “There is a very good reason why I don’t sing anymore or try to get attention, but…” She shook her head and blew out a breath. “I owe it to the guys to at least try. I can’t ride on my baby production laurels forever, can I?” She offered Rangiku a half smile.

“You don’t have to, Hailey. You take care of their child. They want you to enjoy yourself. I understand if you don’t. There was a time I didn’t want to attract attention to myself but I dusted myself off and said fuck you to everyone,” Ran said. “How about a sheath dress? Knee length in your favorite color?”

“Um, I like blue,” she said, her smile widening.

Hmmm, yeah. Hailey would look good in a nice purplish-blue color. Bright, not muted. Rangiku picked her phone up. She tapped what she wanted into the search and then started looking through the images. “How about a deep blue, spaghetti strap?” Rangiku asked, turning the phone around and showing Hailey what she meant.

“Hubba hubba,” she said, then looked at Rangiku with wide eyes. “You think I can pull that off with the mom boobs?”

“Darling, they have strap free bras. With them you can pull off anything. Like I said there’s also nice bodycon dresses and pushup bras,” Rangiku smirked. “I even use pushup bras when I really want Shu’s attention that day.”

“I will defer to the expert. I’m too out of practice to decide. This should be fun, actually,” she said. 

Rangiku told Hailey that they would go pick the dress up since it was at a nearby boutique and that she had to tell Shuhei what she was doing. So she walked from the bedroom across the living room to the hall where the guest room was located and knocked on the door before opening it. “Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he said from his position lounged on the bed, raising his brows in a suggestive gesture. “Miss me?”

“Yes and I’m here to tell you I’m taking the missus of the house out shopping,” Rangiku said. “It’s weird to be around a woman taller than me. She’s going to be able to look Ichigo in the eye after I’m done with her.”

“He’ll love that,” Shuhei said, completely sincere, then sighed. “Enjoy… I’ll just sit here and sing songs about how my girlfriend is having so much fun without me and my dogs left and I can’t read music and I… wah wah wah,” he smiled up at her, checking to see if he had any effect.

Rangiku smirked at him, one side of her mouth tilting up. “Do you want to have some fun, Baby?”

“Yes? Can I?” he asked, thinking he was cute.

“Get my laptop and look up the name of the movie. You know you want to see it,” Rangiku replied, winking at him. “Don’t worry, you’re on my Glow Up list so when it comes time for your turn, you’re going to have a lot of fun shopping with me.”

He sighed. “I’m taking you up on this, you know. I’ll put it on your bookmarks. I’ll let you know how I get on, okay?” he said, looking at her and hoping she might change her mind.

“Or get off,” she said with a laugh. She walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss him, threading her fingers through his hair. “Don’t worry. Soon we’ll be in our own place and you can fuck me silly in any room that you want.”

“Go. Go now or you will not be going anywhere,” he warned, putting a hand on his crotch.

Rangiku gave Shuhei a fake pout, her bottom lip jutting out comically and then placed a hand on his thigh, letting her fingers drift upward. “Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.”

He grabbed her hand and put it on his semi-erect dick. “Don’t dawdle,  _ baby girl. _ ”

“Don’t wear yourself out.” She gave his length several strokes before she straightened up.

“No promises.”

Rangiku left the room after giving Shuhei her best smile and went to collect Hailey.


	51. Nothing a Little Assplosion Can't Fix

Rangiku was smart about this glow up. She hid Hailey in a room that was never used, filming each piece of the woman’s transformation. The Kate Spade Sela heels in black went nice with the indie designer dress she had found. She found Hailey a black stud encrusted clutch at a thrift store nearby that was good for discount designer goods and then finally introduced the woman to Rose and Yylfordt. The two women even stopped at La Perla for a strapless pushup number.

Hair was cut. Eyebrows were waxed. Toes were pampered. Fingers were groomed.

Rangiku walked the woman through every step and Hailey agreed until it came to makeup. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself. The vlogger hated to say it, but Hailey commanded attention. Sometimes she thought it was funny that Shuhei would look at the woman with a smile. That was Hailey’s thing. She smiled and everyone smiled, Rangiku included.

“Okay, so a natural beachy look, highlight, minimal bronzer, but you have such nice skin, you should use it,” she said as she packed a small makeup bag for Hailey after applying each product. “The blush is called Orgasm, by Nars. Best stuff ever. Have a hangover? Use a peachy blush. Brightens your face right up, makes you look alive. And some lip gloss. I’m just using a clear for you now. It kinda completes the free beach spirit vibe we’ve got going on.”

This time, instead of trying to match Hailey’s look, she was dressed in her flowered pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. She wanted the other blonde to be the center of attention. “Well? What do you think? I think you look ravishing. You certainly put me to shame.” 

Hailey looked at herself, twisting her neck from side to side, checking out her body. The sessions with her personal trainer had been paying off. She was softer than she was before Lorelei, but she thought it suited her. “What do I think? I’d do me,” she said, smiling and turning it on Rangiku. “Thanks, Ran. Can’t wait to show the boys.”

“Same, bitch, on all fronts,” Rangiku said with a smile. “I’m going to get some shots of you and then I’m going to gather the boys. Apparently they have a surprise for you.”

Photos were taken and sent to Rose, along with the video clips, before Rangiku walked into the living room, calling all of the men to the room. “Grimmjow and Ichigo, you guys wanted Hailey to be a sex goddess for you, well, I delivered I think. I’d do her.”

Grimmjow laughed at this declaration. “Yeah? You’re so full of shit, Matsumoto.”

Ichigo walked into the room and saw Hailey. As usual, his eyes gravitated toward her ass. “She is not, Grimm,” Ichigo said in a low purr, then his eyes traveled up to Hailey’s face. He took in the entire effect of Rangiku’s work and had to blink and swallow. “Fuck. Uh, Hailey… How do you feel about me knocking you up again?”

The tall woman rolled her eyes.

Grimmjow had his back to his woman but he turned around. “Holy fuck… And dude, it’s my turn,” he said to Ichigo, walking over to where Hailey stood. “Damn lady, can I get your number?”

Hailey blushed, leaning over and kissing Grimmjow’s cheek. “If you boys are on your best behavior we can do russian roulette... In like two years. So, behave for two years,” she said, then smiled at Grimmjow, then Ichigo, then Rangiku.

“I think I outdid myself this time. Orihime’s glow up was never finished, but you, darling, you’re my Mona Lisa,” Rangiku said beaming at the trio.

“She’s gonna be moaning Lisa later on tonight,” Grimmjow growled. “So, uh, Ichi, gonna tell Hails the good news?”

The ginger walked up behind his woman and put his hand on her ass and said, “We’re taking you out. For the entire weekend. These two chucklehuts are going to babysit.”

Hailey’s eyes snapped wide open. “An entire weekend?! But Lore is only nine months old!”

“Yeah, an entire weekend? I don’t know anything about babies! SHUHEI!” Rangiku yelled. 

Shuhei sauntered into the room and stopped, giving Hailey a once over and wolf-whistling at her. “Good work, Ran,” he said, smiling. “What did you call me in here for?”

“We’re babysitting the entire weekend! Did you know about this?”

“Of course I knew, I suggested it!” he replied. “Rosalind will be here during the day and she is not far away if we need anything, and Lore will only be up alone with us for like two hours a night before it’s time for her to go to sleep anyway. It will be fine, trust me.”

As the trio grabbed their bags and climbed into Ichigo’s car, Rangiku held the baby as she babbled about something. Lore wasn’t that bad, and Ran had been helping out more, playing with the chunky infant. She even helped give the baby a bath. “I don’t know about this, Shu. What if something happens?” she asked her boyfriend.

“It’ll be fine. Bye guys! Have a great trip!”

It was not fine. It would never be fine.

And then they were gone.

***

“I have a surprise for you, if you’re done for the day,” Orihime said after she stuck her head in the door of the Ulquiorra’s studio. It had been about a week since their counseling appointment and a couple of weeks since Shuhei and Rangiku left their house. Things between them were slowly improving. Orihime decided that it was time to push things along, though, and came up with a plan.

“Hello my woman,” Ulquiorra said with a smile on his face. As soon as she came in, his eyes were on her. “Uh, I’m done putting down tracks for today. Mostly bass. What did you have in mind?” He stood up and put the pen in his hand down before walking over toward where she was. “Did you have a decent day? I’m sorry I had to work. Inspiration struck.”

Orihime shook her head and smiled. “Work is good. Inspiration is better. I had a stroke of inspiration this week, and today I’m acting on it. How do you feel about asian fusion?” she asked, looking at him with an almost bashful smile.

A grin bloomed on his face. “Craving eggplant are you?” Ulquiorra asked.

“How did you guess?” she asked, her grin widening, and she stepped through the door wearing the tired old green maxi dress she had worn on their first date out. She couldn’t bear to part with it, even though it was starting to lose a bit of its elasticity in the shoulders and as a result, the V of the neck dipped lower than it used to. It was okay, though, she was married now. It wasn’t as scandalous in her opinion.

In an instant, Ulquiorra had her against the door. “Is this the dress? I’ve not seen this thing in years. Holy shit, Veggs. I remember what happened when you wore this the first time. You and me. I lost my virginity.”

“It’s the dress,” she answered, feeling butterflies go wild in her stomach as she looked up at his face. “I’ll never forget what happened that morning. Or the night before, for that matter,” she said, tipping her chin up to peck his lips. “I believe I took you out on a date, which is what I intend to do tonight.”

“I can give you some homegrown eggplant if you want,” he breathed as his head dipped down and his mouth brushed against her ear. Of course his fingers were plucking at the material of the skirt. “You enticed me that night. You were my gorgeous Vega that night.”

She blushed, but said, “well, I could go for some eggplant. I’ve been dying for it. But I’ve also had my eye on some long, silky, slurpable, uncut long life noodles,” she said, tracing a heart on the fabric covering his chest.

“We could recreate that entire scenario. The dinner. A coffeeshop. The next morning me slipping my cock into you and you telling me to fuck you harder, but this time you’re gonna come,” Ulquiorra replied.

“I take it you approve of my plan, then? I even found a place with live music like Sado’s. I can shimmy my ass on you. There will be no Ivan or Creepy Ishida this time,” she said, her eyelids lowering a bit as she focused on his lips. 

“Approve? Fuck Woman. My cock more than approves of this plan. My heart approves of this plan. I wish I thought of this too woo you instead of you thinking of it.”

“Get dressed then, my love. I’m driving. Wear the smell-good stuff. Wear the watch. We’ll post Instagram pics and show our faces this time.”

Ulquiorra smiled as he opened the door for his wife and turned the lights to the studio off. “Green shirt, black jeans if I remember correctly?”

“You do. Too bad it’s too hot for the leather jacket. You were a yummy little spunk, you know that, Hotshot?”

“Keep sassing me and I’ll give you a Hot Shot,” Ulquiorra said, pulling her up to the house and into their bedroom.

He took a quick shower, leaving the door to the bathroom open, keeping his eyes on Orihime the entire time. Since there were not any other distractions, he could tease her and eyefuck her all he wanted without worrying about offending anyone or setting off triggers. He got out and dried off his body and hair before combing through the long black locks. “I need another haircut. It’s been what… four years?”

“You forgot about when… What was her name? That one stylist that had the purple hair? She tried to cut it for you,” Orihime called out from her seat on the bed. “That was a travesty.”

“Ugh,” he said, walking into the bedroom with his boxers on. “Riki or something. I like Kirio, but I think I want my own personal stylist. Anyway, are we going to the place where we had that date or something like it? Because I promised myself years ago I would try that eggplant next time.”

“It’s a national chain. It’s attached to the mall. Yes. We are getting eggplant and you can get… what did you get? Some kind of chicken? I was distracted by your foot in my crotch,” she said, ghosting her fingertips up the side of his leg.

“Garlic chicken? Orange chicken? Chicken with Broccoli? I don’t remember,” he said smiling at her. He went over to his dresser and pulled open one of the drawers and unfolded a slightly faded green t-shirt. “You’re not the only one who kept memories.”

She smiled at him, resting her cheek on the back of her hand as she watched him dress. “There it is. The last bit of your chastity wear. The virgin slayer says hello,” she said, gesturing to her dress with the other hand.

Ulquiorra laughed as he walked over to the small closet in the room and dug around the bottom. He pulled a pair of well worn boots out. “Is the virgin slayer sharpening her claws again?” He asked as he sat down on a chair and began pulling on the boots he had worn for their first date that didn’t involve their dorm rooms. “What made you think of this?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know exactly, but I was thinking about what I wanted to do to show you that it’s not just the life here, with the work and the glamor and the gossip and the luxury and all this,” she said, gesturing around the room. “It’s about you and me. Obs and Veggs. Ernie and Hermione. English Class partners and music buddies. VegaIV. I love you, and I don’t want you to think I’ve forgotten why.”

Ulquiorra didn’t say anything as he finished putting the boots on. When he was done he made sure he had on his wedding ring and his watch. He left the well worn Hufflepuff bracelet on the bedside table before walking over to Orihime. “We could live in Montana and I would love you. We could live in my backwater hometown and I would love you. I’d be a barista, slinging coffee for you Orihime. This ring--” Ulquiorra held up his hand “--it’s a mini collar that binds me to you. I am yours.”

Orihime took a deep breath and nodded, holding up her left hand that was the home to a simple solitaire and matching white gold, unadorned wedding band. “Me too,” she said, then stood to hug him.

He hugged her back, hands slipping down to grab her ass. “You know what we should do? I can get the original photo we took and post it with the new one.”

“Yes! Oh my god I would love to see that. We can put the same hashtags on and everything,” she said, squeezing him before leaning back in his arms. “If you don’t have the uncropped one anymore, I still have it. I saved it in “Trophies”.

He bent his head down and kissed her, his lips parting and his tongue coming out to tease her lips. “Fuck, we need to go or else I’m going to give you a bit of sausage,” Ulquiorra said with a smile.

***

The restaurant was packed, as to be expected on a Saturday evening. They had to wait at the bar for a table. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were wearing old, discount department store clothes that made people glance at them and then look the other way, but there weren’t any people approaching them for pictures or autographs, even though they were at a busy mall chain eatery.

“You ready for our picture, Mr. Cifer?” Orihime asked as they sat at the bar.

“I am Miss Inoue--I mean Mrs. Cifer,” he said to Orihime, with a bit of a smirk. He had indulged and gotten a bottle of beer.

“Okay, so I think I was in your lap for the first one, but that seems a little iffy with the barstools, don’t you think? I could just lean against you,” Orihime said with a smile at his teasing. She blushed a bit, remembering how she felt that night years ago, when he first talked about them being a couple and how thrilling it was for her to be falling in love with him. She took out her phone and snapped a picture before he was ready, beer bottle attached to his lips and only one eye open and pointed toward the camera, while she leaned against his shoulder, blushing, with a slightly nervous, dreamy look on her face. “Sorry not sorry for the candid,” she murmured.

“Evil little virgin slayer,” he said into her ear after he swallowed the sip of beer. Ulquiorra put his arms around Orihime and hauled her into his lap, making sure she wouldn’t fall off. “Now, take it properly,” he said.

She took a deep breath and said, “I think I told you to lean in a bit because it would make my boobs look awesome, but you could just hold me a little tighter and it would do the trick,” she said, holding her phone out to ready the shot.

She didn’t have to tell him again. Ulquiorra put his arm right under her tits and pushed them up slightly. “Damn Woman, you’re sitting right on my dick,” he said to her quietly, looking at her phone.

She snapped about seven pictures, and then let a video run for a few seconds as he talked into her ear and she giggled. 

“Cifer?” a hostess called them. 

Orihime looked down at the bartop; sure enough the electronic buzzer was going nuts and they had not noticed.

That name made heads turn, well, a few heads. Ulquiorra helped Orihime down from the stool and then followed after her. He had to exhale a deep breath to keep from just dragging her back to the car and having his way with her in the backseat.

After they were seated, Orihime was busy posting selfies to Instagram when her phone started buzzing. She dismissed the call without even looking to see who it was, too engaged in recreating the post they had done.

In the meantime, a pair of young women had approached Ulquiorra for an autograph. She watched him interact with them politely, the entire time running her foot up and down his inner leg.

He had to keep his composure while interacting with these ladies. With what his wife was doing that, was hard to keep from adjusting himself and blushing. He was about to answer a question when his phone started buzzing. The woman with dark hair giggled.

“I bet your phone buzzes a lot,” she said.

“Actually it doesn’t. I don’t accept many phone calls, but if you’ll excuse me, have a lovely evening.” When the women left, Ulquiorra saw the text message from Rangiku’s number and then deleted it without even reading it. A few moments later he got a phone call which he declined before turning his phone off. He would not let anything distract him from his wife.

Orihime did the same thing as their first date with reading out menu items in an exaggeratedly seductive way, ignoring the buzzing on her phone. She eventually looked down and turned the buzzer function off.

“So are we getting the eggplant and the chicken?” Ulquiorra asked with a little smirk as his foot went between her thighs.

She snapped her menu shut and smiled at him. “Yep!” she answered, crossing her legs and trapping his foot.

Ulquiorra said nothing but tilted his head to the side and wiggled his toes. “I think I’m going to enjoy this date, Veggs.”

“I already am, Hotshot.”

***

“Fuck fuck fuck. Oh god. What did they give her? It’s running down--Yuck!” Rangiku squealed. “SHUHEI HISAGI! This is not selling me on the idea of popping out a kid!”

“Calm down!” Shuhei said, his voice trembling a bit. “It’s just a bit of poop. You poop. I poop. Everyone poops so everyone chill out!”

For the record, Shuhei did not sound chill.

“Where is the stuff? Why is everything hidden? What do we do, just use a towel? Shit! There’s shit everywhere!”

Rangiku was offended that this guy would even think that about her, but oh well. They had a shitty situation on their hands, literally. Everything was fine. The nanny had signed off for the night. Ran gave Lorelei her bottle and then once she was asleep, put her in the crib, excited to sneak out of the room and into some fun with Shuhei. He hadn’t watched the porn yet and they were going to do that tonight, but after about fifteen minutes of foreplay, Rangiku heard the baby fart, and the Pooggedon happened.

They couldn’t find the wipes. They couldn’t find the diapers. There needed to be an entire bedding change and clothing change for everyone. “Ewwww, is Rosa picking up? Can you call Hailey?”

“No! We promised to take care of this! There’s no way I’m bugging them and Rosalind is not answering. It’s going straight to voicemail. Crap. Crap. Literally, crap everywhere. Maybe… Maybe Ulq knows where the baby stuff is; he used to be here constantly. Why don’t you try him and I’ll keep looking? Make sure she doesn't roll in it-- Ew.”

Nope,the kid had kicked her feet into it. “Call the dickhead. Tell him we need him ASAP. We need someone who knows baby shit.”

“Orihime used to babysit. She might know. Let’s call them both until somebody answers.”

***

Orihime made a show about paying for dinner like she did the first time, then led her husband back to her car. “So, how did you like the eggplant?” she asked, waggling her brows at him.

He chuckled and ducked his head slightly. “I think you need a second helping, because damn. I’ve never seen anyone suck noodles like that,” Ulquiorra said. He pinned Orihime against the driver's side door when they got there and pushed against her. “Now what? Go home and let you have your way with me?”

She shook her head. “Coffee first. Too bad I’m driving, though. I could suck your noodle on the way,” she teased, raising one of her legs between his slowly.

Ulquiorra threw his head back and laughed. “You’re such a dork, Woman. Let’s get some coffee.”

“Hmpf! I don’t think I’m a dork. I happen to be a very considerate noodle-slurper, even in the context of road head,” she said, again teasing him, as she got into the driver’s seat.

“What’s Vega’s stance on getting finger fucked while driving?”

“Probably unwise in the city with traffic cams everywhere,” she said with a chuckle. “This place isn’t too far away. Be patient,” she said, pulling out of the parking lot.

About six or seven minutes later, they were pulling into a coffee place called Bump and Grind. “Here we are,” Orihime announced as she turned off the ignition.

Ulquiorra looked at the place. “This looks a bit livelier than Sado’s for a Saturday,” he said. Before they went into the place he turned his phone on. There were several missed calls from Shuhei and Rangiku. “Woman?”

“Yeah?” she said as she opened the door to the place. Ulquiorra was right, this shop was much more energetic, with neon lights under the bar and lots more people, and the music was not an upright bass combo, but rather a DJ playing some trap music that she didn’t really care for, but was tolerable.

He told himself earlier that he wasn’t going to let anything distract him so he just slid the phone back into his pocket before moving behind Orihime. “You’ve got good taste. This place is fantastic and dark and I’m going to get that dress up and get you off,” he said against her neck.

She shivered and pulled him deeper into the place, then got to the counter and ordered a cappuccino and a black coffee with skim milk, paid, and went to wait by the pick up area, maneuvering herself so that she stood directly in front of Ulquiorra. “If this capp is crap,” she said loudly toward his ear, “We can bounce.”

“You’re going to bounce either way, so enjoy yourself.” Ulquiorra smirked at his words and thought he was pretty slick.

She thought so too, and took a step back, beginning to move her hips on his front just like she did at Sado’s. “So, Ulquiorra-slash-obscurasiv, do you go out on coffee dates with all your fangirls, or just me?”

“You know, I only take out my biggest number one fan. Must have been your lucky day, huh?” came the reply, with him grabbing her hips. “You keep doing that and you know what’s gonna happen.”

“I can only hope,” she said, raising up on her toes and sinking back to her heels just a bit. “It _was_ my lucky day, by the way. The day I met you was the best day of my life.”

“Sometimes I think you think it’s the worst day too,” Ulquiorra said before burying his face into Orihime’s neck. “The day I found out who you were was a blessing.”

Her heart melted and she craned her neck back to kiss him. After a few tender moments she pulled back and said, “Let’s commemorate this part of the night, too.” She pulled out her phone to take a picture and saw all the missed calls and texts. “What the hell?” she said, looking at her husband in alarm.

Ulquiorra frowned. It just wasn’t him. “There might be something wrong. I have a bunch of missed calls from them too.”

“Oh,” her eyes pitched in worry and guilt. “I turned my buzzer off earlier. Oh no. Um, I—”

“Cifer!!!”

Orihime whipped her head around; their coffee was ready. She looked back at her husband. “How about I get those to go and you go outside and find out what is going on?”

“Get the cups, I’ll find out what is wrong,” Ulquiorra stated and walked outside. It didn’t take but seconds for Shuhei to pick up when he called. “Everything okay, man?”

“Uh, no, we have a bit of a situation,” Shuhei sounded shaken and Rangiku could be heard whimpering in the background. “It’s Lorelei.”

“Where are her parents? What happened to her? Why didn’t Ichigo or Grimm call me if something happened to her?” Ulquiorra asked, assuming the worst.

“They’re out of town for the weekend!” Shuhei sounded like he felt terribly guilty about something. “We don’t know what to do! Are you anywhere nearby? We need help; it’s awful.”

“We’re in Beverly Hills, or we were,” Ulquiorra answered. “I mean can you call her parents? Did you kill my godchild?” 

“No! She’s not dead. I can’t call- just please tell us where—” The line went dead.

Jesus. He made his way inside and grabbed Orihime’s arm. “We need to get to Ivan’s and quickly. Something happened to Lore and her parents are out of town.”

“Oh my god!” Orihime said, running to the exit. When they neared her car she passed Ulquiorra the drinks and got the car started, peeling out of the parking space before their seatbelts were buckled. “Did they say anything? Oh god if something happened to that baby…”

“Just drive and keep calm.”

***

“I am never having a child,” Rangiku bitched as she wiped her hand off with a washcloth. “Sorry dude. This is ridiculous.”

Shuhei stood staring at the wall, wide-eyed and traumatized, not answering her. He was in agreement at that moment, though. He was roused from his near-catatonic state by insistent ringing of the gate buzzer.

“I’ll stand watch,” Shuhei said soullessly, turning to face the assplosion he’d been avoiding for the last half an hour.

Rangiku laughed. “Fine by me, because I’m going to take a shower after this and then I might take my own three day fucking vacation,” she muttered as she walked to the intercom thing. She pressed the button that would make the gate roll back then opened the front door to wait.

Orihime drove right up to the front door as jumped out of the car without turning it off, catching up to Ulquiorra and skittering to a halt behind him when he saw Rangiku and stopped short.

“Who the fuck dressed you two? God. Shu! Couple Goals are matchy-matching!” Rangiku yelled behind her. “I swear I’m experiencing deja vu.” This was coming from a woman smeared with baby crap.

“What the hell? What happened to you?” Orihime cried, then shouted up the stairs, “Shuhei, what’s wrong? Where’s Lorelei?!”

“It’s a warzone up here, Heemz,” the unsteady voice replied.

“Oh my god, these psychos murdered the baby,” Orihime murmured as she took the stairs two at a time.

“What the fuck did you do to the baby?” Ulquiorra yelled at Rangiku.

“Nothing, prick! This is a shit situation. I am literally covered in crap!” came the retort.

“What?” Ulquiorra looked at the blonde and then took off after his wife.

“Holy shit!” Orihime announced loudly after she ran into the child’s room and saw the scene. Shuhei’s face was drained of color and he looked like he’d witnessed something horrific.

Okay, it was slightly horrific.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Orihime bitched at her former roommate. “You cockblocked me because you don’t know how to change a diaper?!”

“I—Uh— Nothing is where it is supposed to be,” Shuhei offered a weak excuse.

“Oh shit.” Ulquiorra’s mouth dropped open as he stared from the hall. 

“Right?” Rangiku said. “We couldn’t reach the nanny and the baby erupted in the middle of our foreplay so we got cockblocked first.”

Orihime sighed. ”You were babysitting and— ugh. Ran, go run a bath for Lore, not too hot. Babe, do you know where the diapers and wipes are?” she asked her husband.

“Check the closet for extras. There is also a tote of extras under Lore’s bed. Did you check her dresser?” Ulquiorra asked as he carefully stepped into the room and walked over to the closet. He rummaged around for a few moments before emerging with the small bag of diapers and container of wipes.

“Thank you,” Orihime said, smiling at him. Shu, can you get me two kitchen sized garbage bags? You may as well throw your shirt in one of them,” she said, curling her lip and starting to get a load of wet wipes out of the container. 

“It’s way past your bedtime, Lorelei. What are you doing making such a big mess,” she said to the baby in a playful, singsong voice, then starting with the child’s hands, wiping the poop off of them as Shuhei scurried down to the kitchen.

“The bath is ready,” Rangiku said coming into the room. 

“I’ve texted Ichigo and told him he might have to replace some stuff in Lore’s room,” Ulquiorra said.

Orihime laughed. “I think it’s salvageable, Ernie. Ran, I’m going to get the big chunks off of her. Can you get a big towel to wrap her in to take her from here to the bathroom?” 

Rangiku’s nose wrinkled and she whined. “You are so sleeping on the couch, Shu,” she grumbled as she passed him to go back to the bathroom. 

“The farther I am from this nightmare, the better,” he replied as he went to the baby’s room with the requested trash bags.

Ulquiorra heard them and shook his head. “They act like they’ve never changed a diaper or anything. Look at you Veggs, being all momma-like,” he said to Orihime as he began to help her clean the baby off.

She smiled at him and said, “Oh, this is nothing. I think I told you about little Ferris Conrad and his golden showers. It didn’t stop there. It’s just some poopies, right Lore?” she said, smiling at the baby as she began to sit her up and peeled the soiled pajamas off her arms. “Ran, I need you ready with the towel! Can you and Shu handle a bath while I finish this? Also… When you get a chance, change your shirt.”


	52. Chapter 52

Rangiku was mad. She stayed mad. Babysitting had ruined a t-shirt and it was one of her favorites. She gave the baby a bath, the room was cleaned up and Lorelei was a happy camper. There were no other mishaps that night.

Well, except that Rangiku locked the guest bedroom door and refused to come out. She had told everyone she knew nothing about babies. No one left instructions on how to clean Lore. She was told bath, bottle and then bed. Grimmjow had added that Lore liked to be sung to, so Ran had warbled to her.

Shuhei was supposed to be the expert on kids between them. Hmph.

The blonde woman was so mad that she didn’t even come out when Hailey, Grimmjow and Ichigo came home. She also didn’t want to show how embarrassed she was. She was Rangiku Matsumoto. She could handle anything… Everything except baby poop.

There was no way she was going to have a kid. None. No way. No how. 

So Monday she called her doctor and asked about the implant thing that Orihime had. She needed to make sure that there was never a chance for her to get pregnant. The office told her to stop the birth control she was currently on and not to take it when the time came around. They would put in the implant next month for Rangiku which made her happy. Once she had it in, she wouldn’t have to worry about it for years.

“Hey, Shuhei, how does it feel in the doghouse?” Ichigo asked on Monday morning as he waltzed through the kitchen, after spying the man in question hunched over a bowl of cereal.

“Fuck off, Ivan. It would have never come to that had you guys put anything where it belonged and stopped feeding your child double stuffed burritos.”

The pianist laughed. “One, stuff _goes_ wherever the fuck we put it last, and two, green beans, rice cereal and formula will make anyone shit their pants.”

Shuhei sighed and waved him off. He was in no mood. Rangiku had been avoiding him since “the incident” happened. Ulquiorra and Orihime had given both of them a hard time until they played happy family right in front of him and Ran, taking turns fussing over Lorelei and dancing and singing her to sleep and acting disgustingly perfect for each other before leaving him with a pissed off girlfriend and a bag full of shitty linens that either he could wash himself, or he could wait until the nanny showed up and be the asshole who asked her to do it.

He decided to be that asshole. Everyone thought he was anyway.

Rangiku heard what Shu said as she walked into the living area and frowned. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t _that_ mad at him. As she moved into the kitchen, she put a hand on his shoulder before going to get a bottle of water. “I’m going to workout. Okay? After I get back we can do that car thing?” she asked her boyfriend.

“Sure,” he said dully. He hadn’t slept well in the living room. There were other guest rooms available, but he felt like he deserved the punishment.

“Shu, Baby,” Rangiku said and moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “Cheer up, I’m over the poop thing. I love you.” She kissed his temple.

He sighed. He was not in the mood for this.

When he didn’t embrace her or kiss her, or even talk to her, Rangiku stepped away. She gave Ichigo a smile and then turned to leave the room. She would drive down to the beach, run across the waterfront several times and then do squats. She would then come back here and use Grimmjow’s home gym to work on her arms. If Shuhei wanted to be mad at her, it was whatever. She had told him she was not exactly a domestic goddess or a maternal figure.

When she left the house, Rangiku decided to call Orihime. She needed advice.

“Morning Ran, what’s the occasion? No new mishaps?” the younger woman answered with cheer in her voice.

“Morning Hime, no, nothing like that. I locked Shuhei out of our room until the Three Musketeers came back from their trip. Now he’s mad at me. He wouldn’t say anything or hug me this morning before I left,” Rangiku said.

Orihime sucked in a loud breath. “Ouch, Ran, that’s kind of harsh.”

“I was mad. I told him I knew nothing about kids and he volunteered us to babysit. There were no directions left. Ichigo was actually laughing about the entire thing.” Rangiku pouted as she got into her car and started it. “How do I make him unmad at me?”

“Hmm, a heartfelt apology? Ask him how he feels? Guys seem to rely on their wives or girlfriends as their primary source of emotional support, so if you snub him he might be feeling like you’re done with him.”

Rangiku put her phone on hands free mode and pulled out of the driveway. “God, if I was done with him I wouldn’t be excited about moving in with him. Do flowers work on men?”

“I don’t know, I've never tried. I planned a date for Ulquiorra and that was well-received… Um, flattery helps? But usually just talking and not letting your own feelings get in the way of hearing his helps. Sorry I don’t know of any silver bullets.”

“I love him, I do, but it’s frustrating. I’m not crazy about kids in the first place and this entire thing has made me call the doctor and schedule to get that implant.”

“Ooh, yay! You’re gonna love it,” she said before shaking her head at herself. “Anyway, about Shu, I never dated him, but I knew him pretty well. Is he acting pissy or pouty?”

Rangiku thought about it. “Yeah, He was telling Ichigo to fuck off this morning.”

“I mean to you. Everyone is a dick to Ivan.”

Ohhhh. “Um kinda. I kissed him and told him I was over being mad and he just sat there.”

“Pouty, then. He’s feeling guilty or inferior. Just reassure him and he should come around,” she said as if that was that.

The blonde nodded. “Sorry about cockblocking you guys. It’s just we didn’t know what to do,” she said.

“Believe it or not, it wasn’t the worst way to spend the evening,” she said, her voice honeyed and wistful.

“Well I hope Ulq made it up to you. I’m going to get off here so I can focus on--” Rangiku trailed off as she saw a flash of silver hair. What the hell would Gin be doing in Malibu and right by the Jaegerjaquez-Kurosaki-Rodgers house?

Orihime waited for Rangiku to finish her sentence for a bit, and when she didn’t, she asked, “Ran? Everything ok? Did you lose reception?”

“No, I just thought I saw something. I’ll let you go. Have a nice day.” Rangiku hung up the call and then drove as quickly as she could to the beach. She didn’t run for very long. Only going up and down the half-mile stretch twice before skipping the squats completely. She was sitting in her car in the parking lot when she noticed it again.

It was very rare that Gin Ichimaru wore normal clothing. The light aqua t-shirt and white jeans threw her off. He was leaning against his car, smiling. Rangiku shivered and quickly got out of there, stopping at a florist’s on the way back to where they were staying. 

Shu had done a lot for her, so she bought him a dozen roses. It seemed cliché but she was going for that cheesy romantic vibe. She wanted to shake the feeling of Gin and his smile. Being silly and begging her boyfriend for forgiveness for being an inconsiderate dumbass was a good way to forget her former sugar daddy. 

When the gate of the estate opened, Rangiku drove through and up to the house, making sure to grab those flowers before she went inside. “Shu?” 

“Yeah?” He was still sitting at the kitchen island, looking at his phone now.

She followed the sound of his voice and when she found him, the woman tugged on his arm. “Come with me, please? I have something for you.”

He raised his brows and got up to follow her. “What is it?” he asked, his voice a bit less flat than before.

“Well I got you flowers,” Rangiku said holding them up to him. She smiled as she pulled him into their room. The door was shut and locked. “Also I wanted to get on my knees and beg you to forgive me.”

Shuhei was totally confused. “What-- Flowers? I mean…” He looked down at them and over at her. “They are nice. Um, what do I have to forgive you for? I’m the one who fucked up.”

“No, I should have brushed it off the night it happened instead of dragging it out. It’s not your fault. Things weren’t where they were left and we both screwed up. We could have googled it but we panicked,” she said as she got to her knees in front of him. Rangiku smiled up at him. “You’ve never gotten flowers from a woman before have you?”

“No? I mean, I didn’t know that was a thing, really,” he said. Something about this wasn’t sitting right with him. He shook his head and got down on his knees to look her in the eye. “You’re right that we both panicked, but I’m the one who volunteered our services. I didn’t take your feelings into account and just let a romantic fantasy carry me away. I’m sorry.”

Well there went her chance of giving him head. Rangiku sighed and put the flowers on the floor. “What romantic fantasy?”

“The one where we are old and settled and have a simple little home life. It was nice while the nanny was here, at least,” he said with a chuckle, then looked down, twisting his lips. When he looked back up at her he looked like a little boy. “Forgive me?”

“Only if you forgive me,” she said reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him. “As soon as we get that call for the house we’re going to have a simple little home life, without the tiny human. A dog I can do. Ash I can do. No babies until I’m thirty-five.”

“I hope you’re ready for triplets by then,” he said with a false air of exhaustion. He hugged her back and then stood up, smiling down at her. “So, eight years, huh? Whatever will we do with that time?” A smirk took the place of that smile.

Rangiku smirked at him from where she was and then glanced at his groin. “We could practice. Lots and lots of practice. I don’t mean just sex either, _buddy_. I need to educate myself on how to deal with kids.”

He chuckled. “Well if couple goals and the Three Musketeers have any say in it, we’ll have plenty of opportunity to practice that kind of thing. And, I mean, we could practice the sex thing, too,” he said, taking a step closer to her.

Rangiku’s face got hot. She looked to the side. Did they just agree to have kids together? It was a long way off but... Did that mean that this was a solid thing that he wasn’t just going to up and leave? She looked back up at him and reached her hands out to grab his hips. Yeah, this was the guy that was going to make all the bad people in her life disappear. “I love you Shuhei. I love every inch of you. I’m going to love every. Inch. Of. You.” She said each word, punctuating it with a tug of his shorts.

A brow quirked, and he licked his lips. “I love you, too.”

As soon as his hip bones were visible, Rangiku was kissing them and trailing her tongue across the skin. She looked up at him and smiled before totally yanking his clothing down, fingers encircling his dick. “Can I?”

“Yes,” he breathed.

She wanted to crack a perverted joke but this mood was too nice to let it go to waste like that. She sat back on her heels, stroking the skin under her hand. Shu was getting hard, and once he was fully erect, she kissed the tip of his cock. “You’re my musical god. The voice of heaven and the body to match; my lover,” she said, before letting her tongue flick the underside of the head.

“Hnngh,” he growled, “Tell me what you want, lover?” He knew. He just wanted her to worship him a bit more. This felt good. This felt powerful. He felt a pull from the back of his groin to the front, beckoning his hips forward, which he allowed marginally.

“I want my mouth to make love to you. I want to pleasure you until you can’t stand. I want to be with you until we’re old. I want to make you happy, Shu,” Rangiku whispered to him before letting her mouth open and engulfing the tip of his member, lips stretching around him.

His head fell back and he groaned softly, closing his eyes and focusing on the sensation. “Fuck, baby girl…” he breathed, the heat of her mouth scrambling his thoughts.

She hummed and used her hand to cover what she couldn’t fit into her mouth. Rangiku’s strokes were slow as she gave him head. She’d pull back far enough so that her hand would give a little twist on his head before letting him slide in again to hit the back of her throat. She watched him, eyes shining with emotions of desire, lust and affection. 

This was fantastic. Shu had received plenty of head before, but it was nothing, not even remotely, close to this experience. Momo had been sloppy and eager to get it over with. The girls who hung out with Pesche were high as fuck and unenthusiastic. His high school girlfriends were young and inexperienced, and acted like it was kind of gross. This… she wasn’t kidding when she said she was going to make love to him with her mouth. He looked down at her to see the gaze from her eyes and felt a strong surge of affection. “I love you so much, Ran,” he murmured, a palm raising to her cheek, the fingers threading into her hair gently, just to feel closer to her.

“I love you too,” she murmured, only to remove her hand and let him go back into her mouth. Rangiku’s pace sped up a little as she allowed her throat to relax, taking more and more of him. She made certain her tongue was caressing him too, feeling every ridge and vein she went over. She wanted to show him what she was capable of and how much she loved and appreciated him. 

It was all he could do to not lose control and grab the back of her head to push himself flush to her face and empty himself. Fuck this was hot. Fuck she was good at this. Fuck he wanted to come, but he didn’t want it to end, either. “Ran, please,” he whimpered, not really knowing what he was asking for.

“Do you want to come?” she asked with an innocent look on her face. “Do you want me to swallow you? Or let you come in me or on me?”

“All of it? Any of it? I want to come all over your tits or in your mouth or balls deep inside of you, just let me, please,” he said, nearly panting.

Rangiku got to her feet and stripped off her shoes and leggings while she kept stroking Shuhei’s cock. It was difficult to do with one hand but eventually she was left with just the sports bra on. She looked at Shuhei before pushing him back onto the bed. “Lay back,” Rangiku said as she straddled his thighs.

He did as he was told, his hands running up and down the length of her thighs.

It didn’t take much for her to get into position. She took a deep breath before sinking down on him, breath catching in her throat, feeling his hot skin naked against her. Oh, so this is what it felt like. “Oh,” she sighed.

Holy shit, did she just-- Shuhei’s eyes snapped open as he watched her sheath herself on him without any kind of barrier. Fuck she was hot. So hot and so wet and so fucking good. He was just too far gone, mentally, to spend a lot of cognitive function on the ethical concerns of this situation. “I love you,” he whispered to her, before grasping her hips and thrusting up into her.

Her hands took up their usual spots on his chest. This was a first for her. As he began moving inside of her, Rangiku’s eyes rolled back and her head dropped down. This was--There were no words describing this. There was nothing in her vocabulary that she could vocalize how good he felt; how firm but silky his cock felt against her walls. “Hnnngh, Baby,” was all she could say. Her brain was shutting down not even giving a fuck about anything. 

The building pressure building inside of him was overwhelming. It burned in his veins and made his vision darken. This was so good. It was so, so fucking good.

It still wasn’t enough though. That’s what the animal inside of him said as he grabbed her waist and flipped them over so she was on her back. “You’re mine, Ran,” he growled, pushing deep into her, holding for a second, then pulling out quickly almost to the tip of his cock and pushing back in. “You’re mine.”

She cried out, her arms and legs wrapping around his torso. With every thrust, Rangiku tightened her hold, her natural nails biting into his skin. “Yes, yes, yes. I am all yours Shuhei. Fuck me. Make me come.”

Pure instinct drove his body as he thrust into her again and again and again, the head of his cock pressing up against her walls as he moved, the base of his cock stretching her entrance as he strained to go deeper every time his body met hers. He kept chasing this overwhelming compulsion to break through and get more of her. “Come. Come, lover. I want you to. Get wrecked on me. Fucking give up and take it,” he muttered mindlessly in her ear between pants.

“Fuck,” she managed to say before it hit. Her core pulsed around him and she screamed, legs and arms like a vice around him. Euphoria rolled over her nerves and Rangiku allowed herself to do what Shuhei told her to do. She wanted to give everything up to him. She wanted to take it. 

He felt it. He kept his pace up as she tightened around him, and when she called out at her peak, he lost control and started to drive into her at a punishing pace, grunting and panting as he chased his orgasm. His arms closed around her body, pushing her soft flesh into his hard, sweaty chest, and putting his teeth on the column of her throat. He kept this up, his grunts raising in pitch to near whines, before he snapped, thrusting into her one last time and holding as he emptied himself into her body with a loud cry. Pulse after pulse shot through him, painfully at first until relief started to flood his body. 

When he was done, his body melted on top of hers and he lay there, panting into her ear. “I-- I-- I--” he tried to speak but words weren’t coming to him.

Little aftershocks were going through her every time she felt him twitch. Rangiku moved her hand through his hair, pushing it away from the side of his face. She had never allowed anyone to be inside of her without protection. The men that had been there before had done it by force. She had wanted this. Tears sprang to her eyes as emotions flooded her brain. “Shhh,” she said, other hand stroking his back. She could feel the scratch marks there.

He stayed where he was for a long time; until he felt his skin begin to cool and his sweat start to evaporate. It was only then that he shifted enough to see her face. “Ran?” he whispered.

“Hi,” she said, giving him a small smile. 

He felt his chest swell with emotion and he ducked his face toward hers, kissing her deeply. Using his elbows to support him, he caressed her face and stared deeply into her eyes after the kiss was broken. “I love you. I want you. I want you to be happy with me and live with me.” He kissed her again and then carefully rolled off of her, his softened member falling out and leaving a sticky, warm path down his leg. He didn’t care, though, putting an arm under her head and pulling her to lay on his chest. “Are you okay?” he asked after a minute.

Physically she was fine. Emotionally she was a crying mess inside. Mentally she didn’t know how she felt. She didn’t want to think about it either. “I’m okay,” she said after a moment. “You’re the first to do that, you know.”

He was quiet for several minutes after her confession, slowly and sporadically stroking her hair. Finally he said, “Thank you. You’re my first, too.”

She gave a contented sigh and held him close. “So… Flowers and a blowjob means you’ll forgive me?” She asked him with a smile.

“I love you. I’m sorry I did the whole Adventures in Babysitting thing without running it past you first. That wasn’t fair,” he said with an ashamed smile. “But I will take flowers and a blowjob and mindblowing sex whenever it’s on offer, Ran. You’re amazing.”

“Psht, I’m only me,” she said with a smile. “Did you want to do the car thing? Because, um...”

“Because what?” he said, stroking the side of her cheek.

“I think it’s my car,” she whispered to him, regretful that she was breaking this happy moment with him, but he had to know. Rangiku didn’t want to take her BMW to the new house and have Gin know where she was.

“Get in the shower. We have car shopping to do,” he said with a tense smile on his face.

“Really? Shower? And have the fruits of your labor be washed away? Sorry dude, this my trophy.” She giggled and rolled away from him. “But I do need to shower. Running made me sweaty. Sex made me sweaty.”

“I could take a picture if you want it to last longer,” he said into her ear and trailing a hand down her leg.

“You just want a photo to look at it,” Rangiku said.

“Correction, I want a photo to jack off to like a madman, because believe me, I will do that with or without the picture whenever I think about today.”

Rangiku got to her knees and bent over, making sure her legs were spread wide enough. She gave Shuhei a smirk and cocked one eyebrow up. “I hope you’re a good photographer.”

He licked his lips, reaching for his camera, and leaned forward, kissing one side of her ass before taking a couple shots. Then he pulled her back by the shoulder, grabbing one of her tits and hissing into her ear, “That was okay, but let the artist do his work,” before pushing her onto her back, grabbing both legs under the knees with one hand, and pulling them up to her face. “Good, now, give me a naughty little smirk. Your pussy looks great from this angle,” he said, backing up to get her entire body and face into the picture.

The blonde woman did as he commanded, smiling the entire time. When Shu was satisfied she stretched. “I’m going to tell Grimmjow he can buy my car for forty grand.”

“You think he’s going to drop forty grand for a used car? Okay,” he said, chuckling and shaking his head.

“He deserves to get shafted for sticking us on baby duty,” Rangiku said. “Maybe I’ll tell him twenty. But he deserves it.”

“See what you can do, Baby Girl. Drive a hard bargain.”

***

Grimmjow laughed at her and shook his head. Rangiku expected this, so she and Shuhei drove the damn car to a dealership. They gave her twenty-two thousand for it. She cleaned everything out of the car, signing the title over to the dealership and kind of frowned as she walked by the car one last time.

“Hey, um, Miss? Do you know what this is?” One of the people going over the car asked, holding up a small black box. 

Rangiku looked at Shuhei before shaking her head. “No, what is it?”

“It’s a tracking device. This car isn’t involved in anything sketchy is it? Feds? Drugs? We don’t need drug cars,” the guy said.

Rangiku’s stomach dropped. “No, no, my… ex… probably put that there. You can toss it.”

Shu scowled. “Well I guess now we know how he found you. It’s over now. Let’s go test drive some cars, yeah?” he said, trying to encourage her.

The blonde nodded. “I don’t want anything fancy. Maybe something like you have but a bit bigger. I need a full backseat.”

“Zoom zoom? You want a Mazda? Why not just buy Grimm’s creeper van? Oh wait, that’s right, not a soccer mom,” he said with a chuckle. “Well you could get something sportier.”

“Eight years and you can make me a soccer mom, okay?” Rangiku said walking to Shuhei’s car. “What about Ulq or Hime’s cars? What do they have?”

“Ulq has a Honda Pilot and a… an Accord, and a Ducati. Heemz has some kind of Audi SUV because of Princess. She had a Miata too, but she doesn’t drive it so I don’t know if she got rid of it. Plus, how many cars does one family need?” he said. “I like my tiny car, but I’m not a tiny guy, so I should probably think about getting something new. After I close on the house,” he clarified.

“I’ll take the Mazda2. I’ll give Ulq the money for it. Then you can be free to buy whatever,” Rangiku smiled. “I only got a BMW because it’s what Gin said would be good for my image. Meanwhile he’s driving around in some fancy fucking Tesla--” She had to cut off her words because the harsh emotion was bleeding through. “Sorry.”

Shuhei rolled his eyes. “Teslas aren’t even that cool, anyway. Just a smart way to get dumb guys to part with their money.” He looked at her and smiled. “I’m going to need the Mazda for a bit, but then you are welcome to it. If my offer isn’t accepted, I'll get a car. They have until five tonight to call back. Keep your fingers crossed for us.”

Rangiku smiled again, trying to let the bad feelings go. “I saw Gin today. Twice. He was close to Ichigo’s house and then he was standing in the parking lot at the beach. I left as quickly as I could. He didn’t say anything, he just stood there, smiling.”

Shuhei scowled again. “Do you want to just get some food or something and wait for the call?”

“We can if you want. I’m just glad that I’m rid of the damn thing,” Rangiku said. She took a deep breath. “This is a fresh start for me; for us.”

***

Shuhei was tense as he paced the floor, listening to the real estate agent on the phone. 

“Yes, I understand. How much? Sure. Yeah, set it up. No, I can be there or send a check or whatever. Yes. Thank you so much.”

He brought the phone down to his leg and looked at his girlfriend. “Holy shit, Ran.”

“What? What happened? We didn’t get it? Did we?” She asked.

“They accepted the offer,” a disbelieving smile started to spread across his face. “We just have to schedule the inspection and if it passes, we close in thirty days.”

“AHhhhhH!” she screamed and jumped into Shuhei’s lap, hugging him. “Yay! You did it! Look at you, Mr. Homeowner. Now you have to buy furniture and decorations and a puppy. Or adopt one.”

He laughed, catching her. “One thing at a time, Ran, but thank you.”

“So, how do you feel?”

“I don’t even know yet. It doesn’t feel real. It probably won’t feel real until I have the keys in hand. But… I can’t let you have the Mazda yet. I can’t take any new debt until I close. Unless…” He smiled and laughed. “You buy the Mazda2 from Ulq. I’ll take the old creeper van. It’s nostalgic,” he threw his head back and laughed.

She kept the smile on her face. He wanted Orihime’s old van. Oh... Well… Rangiku sighed. She was never going to be Orihime. She was never going to attain that level of adoration that Shuhei gave the redhead. It was concerning. But she thought it was fair. Gin kept popping up in her life so it just made sense that Orihime would come up. “If that’s what you want, sure,” she said, trying to sound normal.

“Just until I close. Plus then I can use it to help us move and haul stuff to the dump and things like that. It’s a practical little vehicle,” he said. He picked up that it bothered her. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to examine why. 

“It makes sense,” she agreed. She gave him another hug before slipping off his lap. 

“Ran,” he said. There was disappointment there. “Talk to me. Why does it bother you?”

“I never said it bothered me. Where did you get that from?” she asked, keeping her back to him.

“Ran…” the disapproval was more pronounced. “You’re not fooling anyone. “You don’t like it because it used to be Orihime’s car. I assure you this is merely a practical move. I love you. Not her.”

A huff left Rangiku. “I know you love me, but I’m insecure, too. Today, I’m feeling really vulnerable. Seeing Gin… doing what we did… selling the car and now… the house. It’s been a rollercoaster of a day.”

“C’mere, I get it,” he said, pulling her back to him. “Let’s go home, have a drink, and snuggle, Okay?”

“Okay.”


	53. Chapter 53

Ulquiorra listened to the blonde woman on the phone. He had it on speaker just in case Orihime was around. 

“...So I can give you the price of the car.”

He blinked. “Ran, I gave that car to him as a gift. All he needed to do was get the title changed over. Come to think of it, that’s why my insurance is so fucking high.”

“It’s probably high because you’re a male under the age of thirty and have anger issues,” she said.

“Tch. Tell Shu to just put the title in his name. I already signed it, it’s in his glovebox,” Ulquiorra stated.

“Okay, next question.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I have your dad’s number again? He was helping me do a budget and I just want to go over things with him again.”

“Uh, I can give it to you, but he’s found a hobby so I don’t know how free he is.”

“Oooh, you mean he’s only a part-time stay-at-home-dad now?” Rangiku said.

“Kinda, he’s been studying for something about real estate. He doesn’t want to run a bakery. He doesn’t want to open a coffee house. He’s bored sitting at home. He likes houses though.”

“Perfect.”

“Perfect? Why perfect? The last I heard you and Shu had a place,” Ulquiorra said, scowling at the phone sitting on his desk.

“Reasons; ones I can’t explain at the moment.” Her tone had turned serious. “So if you could please text me the number and give him a head’s up that I’m going to be calling soon. I’ve got to go. Bye-bye!”

That was fucking strange. Ulquiorra left his phone where it was and wandered upstairs to find his wife. “Can you tell me why Rangiku would say perfect to finding out my dad is a real estate agent?”

Her shoulders fell. “She wants her own place. Poor Shu…”

“I have no clue. If he bought that suburbian wet dream for her… Dude... First she called wanting to know how much I wanted for the Mazda, I told her nothing, that it was already Shu’s. Then she wanted my dad’s number to ask him about budgeting things. Like get a fucking accountant already,” Ulquiorra said. “What are you up to? Wanna take a drive?”

“Yeah,” she answered, perking up and feeling surprise at the suggestion. “Where are we going?”

“Napa Valley? Figured we could use a couple days to relax.”

Her grin was blinding. “I’ll pack.”

“Dad’s coming to get the dogs in an hour, You need to be ready by then, deal? Oh, and I’m driving.”

Her brow cocked at him. “Oh, I’ll be ready. I’ll be hungry, too. I’m kind of in the mood for noodles,” she muttered as she walked towards the stairs and gave him a seductive glance.

“Sausage or eggplant?”

***

Her phone buzzed. Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt. Rangiku opened her eyes and saw the screen light up in the dark room. It was a week after Shu had gotten the news about the house. The same number kept popping up several times every day. She never answered the calls. She didn’t recognize the number. She sighed and rolled over as the phone buzzed again. If she just closed her eyes she could ignore it. 

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

Jesus! Who the fuck kept calling her?!

She flopped over and grabbed the device, yanking it off the charging cable. Her thumb slid across the bottom to answer. “Hello?” Rangiku said in a harsh whisper.

“Darling—“

Nope. She hung up. She wasn’t dealing with that right now. 

The thing lit up again and vibrated in her hands. Same number.

What the fuck did Gin want? Why did he keep bothering her? She was not interested in being his whore. She was a kept woman… kind of. She was in a relationship with someone, couldn’t he get the hint?

He was the one who hurt her. He was the one who evicted her. He was the one who said it was over.

Finally the thing stopped buzzing. Rangiku laid back down but sleep didn’t come easily. She kept thinking about what had happened so far between her and Shuhei. They had sex… unprotected, balls to the wall, animalistic, uninhibited fucking. She was surprised that no one said anything about it to them. If they had been at the Cifers, someone would have said something or asked. Then again, Couple Goals’ house was a lot smaller than the trio’s.

There was an at least four thousand square foot size difference.

Not that it mattered. She never expected to live in a place bigger than her apartment. She wanted to, but it never came. Gin never invited her to live with him. 

Shu hadn’t actually asked her to move in. It was more of a “I’m getting a house and you’re my girlfriend so you should be there too,” kind of thing. He didn’t say yes or no when she asked. She thought about what Jon Cifer said to her on the phone the other day.

“Ran, with the numbers you gave me, it doesn’t look good. Since your YouTube revenue has gone down, you went from being able to afford about nine-hundred thousand dollar house to maybe three or four hundred thousand. That’s not including taxes, homeowners insurance or association fees. Then there are utilities. You might be able to afford a place in Crenshaw,” he told her.

Renting was even worse. To live in a place that would fit all of her stuff it was over four grand a month. It was fucking insane. How did celebrities afford house payments and rentals? How did they afford fancy cars? She knew how they afforded clothes and makeup and shoes. Companies comped for that shit all the time. Maybe it was time to just throw in the towel and get a real job; go back to college.

A heavy sigh. Her thoughts were jumbled; she wasn’t thinking clearly. 

“Hey,” Shuhei said to her after coming up to their room. “I was just talking to Grimmjow about doing some kind of collab on an album he’s working on. Think I can pull off more angry, Lincoln Park-esque vocals?”

“I don’t know, how angry can you get?”

“Mostly not,” he said with a chuckle. “What have you been up to today?”

“Not much,” she answered. “You could think about something that makes you really angry and then use that to fuel your vocals. Just an idea.” 

”Nah, I’m not much of an actor. I sing from my soul and my soul is mostly just a sappy kind of love-obsessed thing. I don’t want to manipulate myself to be something I’m not; not anymore. I’m happier than I have ever been and I don’t want to act otherwise,” he said, approaching her and pulling her into his arms. “It’s all thanks to you, lover.”

Rangiku gave him a smile. “You are welcome, Shuhei. What else have you boys been up to?”

“Tch. Not much. Been talking about food and sex a lot. Apparently they really liked your work on Hailey. Not just the look; the confidence boost has changed who she is in the bedroom. That’s all I’ll say except that those guys don’t understand the concept of TMI. Anyway they want me to bake a cake for Lorelei’s birthday in September. I said okay, but that maybe they should ask Ulq’s dad. He was the cake expert; I was just his apprentice.”

“You like food and sex though,” she chuckled. “And good. I’m glad that they’re getting something out of my hard work. Hailey seemed really… I don’t know… closed off. And I can ask Jon; he’s been helping me balance a budget. I figured since he knew how to run a business he could give me some money management tips.”

“Nice idea! I’d be happy to help him if he wants to do the cake. Tell him I say hi when you see him. We didn’t exactly have the warm relationship he had with Heemz; He treated her like a princess. And he treated me like a toad. But he was a fair boss otherwise.”

Rangiku’s brows rose and she looked at Shuhei. “Why? What happened that would make him treat you like that?”

“I wasn’t her or Ulq, mostly. He was a hardass to everyone else.”

“Well, that’s a boss for you. Jugo wasn’t the nicest boss I’ve had.” Rangiku studied the man for a moment. “He’d probably treat you with respect though now. You’re missing the thug life look. You’ve got a career.”

“He might. I dunno. He’s a tough nut to crack.”

“Oh, Baby,” Rangiku said. “Confidence. You should walk around with your head up and smiling. You have the world at your feet right now.” She smiled and then kissed Shuhei.

“Heh. Maybe. So… I heard from the inspector today. It passed. We close in a month! Wanna come out with me and celebrate?”

The blonde stared at him. “What kind of celebrating?”

“Dinner and drinks?” He proposed with a grin.

“I guess. Can you wait an hour while I put on my battle armor?”

“Oooh, I get dolled up Ran today? Nice. I better freshen up too, then. So, no time for a quickie then, huh?”

There was a sly smile on her face. “I guess I’ll have to cut some corners to accommodate you,” Rangiku replied before taking off her t-shirt and kissing him again.

He was in a good mood. He was feeling energetic. He had been slightly aroused after the conversation with Ichigo and Grimmjow downstairs. He grabbed her by the back of the thighs and hoisted her up, pressing her core against his belly, and walked over to the bed. “You ready for this? Do I need to warm you up for ten minutes?”

Her teeth raked over her bottom lip and Ran shook her head. “I am always ready for you.”

He wasted no time dumping her on the bed and climbing between her legs. He pushed her bra cups up to give himself access to her tits, and he face dove between them, kissing the skin and working back and forth between the swells to the soft pink nipples at each peak, treating them to licks and suckles until they stood at attention.

His hips ground into hers, his insistent rhythm causing heat to rise up off of her. “You’re so hot, Ran,” he growled, before pulling himself further up her body and kissing her deeply. He started to work the waistband of his jeans and boxer briefs off of his hips, breaking the kiss to work them over his straining cock. “I want you, Ran. I want you. I love you,” he murmured to her between kisses, pulling her leggings down her legs. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you; how you feel against me..,” he breathed harshly into her ear, grasping the base of his cock and groaning when he was able to run the tip up and down her slit after her leggings cleared her hips. “Can I? I want to,” he whispered before sucking her earlobe into his mouth.

“Yes,” she breathed without hesitation. “Please? God.” She felt how hot and hard his cock was against her. Rangiku knew in her heart that Shuhei loved her. She was having a hard time convincing her brain of that fact. “I want you to fill me again, Shu.”

A rumble from his throat was his only response before he pushed into her in one steady go, not too hard or fast, but he wasn’t taking his time either. He immediately retreated and plunged into her again, keeping his original pace.

His face turned into her neck and ear as he breathed roughly. “I want to be yours, Rangiku. I want you to want me. I want you to dream about this and call my name when you touch yourself. I want you to ache and starve for me. I promise I’ll never leave you wanting for long. I’ll fuck you and fill you and—“ he grit his teeth and had to shut up, straining and groaning to stop himself from going over the edge too fast. His words were as much for his own benefit as hers, letting them fall like chants from his lips.

It was amazing how fast he could make her wet with words and his sounds. She was breathing heavily, fingers sinking into his shoulders to keep a hold of reality. Rangiku moved with him, rolling her hips, listening to his words. “You are mine, Shu. I made you mine the first time we did this. I love you. You are--ohhh, fuck. You feel so good. You’re so good at fucking me,” she moaned as she hooked legs around his waist, changing the angle of her hips. He slid deeper into her, making her cry out.

“Tell me when, Lover. I want to come together.”

“Hnnngh, Shu. Soon. Keep fucking me like this.” It wasn’t a minute later when her body started tensing and she pulled her knees up further. That position made the head of his cock rub against that spot. Fuck. Feeling the wet slide of skin against skin was enough to drive her crazy. Hearing how their bodies met and touched with a wet smack did her in. “Fuck, I’m--” She couldn’t finish the sentence, her body tightening on his. Rangiku cried out before gritting her teeth against the waves of bliss. “Shuuuuu...”

“Take it, take it,” he whispered and pushed in as deeply as possible, grinding his hips a bit as he unloaded into her, feeling her walls milk him dry. This was it. This was how it was supposed to be. Just them, together like this. It was perfection. He had been waiting for her his whole life and when he felt the last of his seed spill into her he knew it was going to always be them.

After a moment to catch his breath, he brought his hands to the sides of her face. His eyes were glassy and a bit wild as he said, “Look at me, my lover. Look.”

Rangiku lifted her eyes to meet Shuhei’s dark ones. “Yes, Baby?” she said, staring at him. She felt exposed and fragile.

“You and me,” he breathed, staring into her blue eyes. “It’s always going to be you and me,” he said before crashing his lips back down onto hers and kissing her lips with a multitude of pecks before letting his head fall on her chest. “I love you, Ran.”

The blonde woman beneath him searched for his hand, letting their fingers intertwine. She felt like he was telling the truth. Shuhei wouldn’t lie to her. There was a little voice in the back of her head that was telling her that he had already lied to her. “Me and you. You’re my everything, Shuhei. You’re my fire, the one...” She trailed off kissing the top of his head.

“Desire. You are,” he continued, grasping at one of her breasts and holding it, for comfort and closeness, not for arousal.

I love you. You made me starving. I need to get cleaned up,” she murmured to him. “We could just go to the local pizza place and get a pizza and beer, smuggle it in here.”

“If that’s what you want, we can do that,” he said. “You wouldn’t have to get cleaned up, you could just wait in the car, if you’re feeling like you just want to be lazy with me.”

A smile played over her mouth. “I want to get dolled up and sexy for you but at the same time I want to wear sweats and your tshirt without anything under it. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.” 

“Sweats. T-shirt. Nipples. You know what I like, Rangiku,” he said, giving her tit a playful squeeze and then sitting up. He reached for his jeans and pulled them up on the bed, fishing around for something in the pockets. “Well, if we’re not getting fancy…”

She propped herself up on elbows and looked at him. Rangiku hoped to god he wasn’t looking for anything like a ring box or some silly jewelry. “I mean we can, you wanted to celebrate, I have dresses I can’t wear a bra with.”

“Oh, no, no. This is just to celebrate the setting of the date of our closing. Ah ha!” He said, pulling out whatever he was looking for and plunking it in her hands. His were so big that she couldn’t see what it was at all. “Congratulations, Ran, we’re not going to be homeless.”

Rangiku’s fingers closed around what was in her hand and she sat up, before adjusting her bra. She looked at Shuhei and then uncurled her fingers. In the palm of her hand sat two pieces of pinkish metal forged into leaves and branches. Oh shit. He had bought her jewelry. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Her eyes darted from the earrings to Shuhei’s face several times. A stuttering breath went through her. “These...Rose gold?”

“Yeah, you said I should get some rose gold. I didn’t think it suited me, so I got it for you. Oh, here’s the bag they came in,” he said, passing her a tiny greenish-blue suede drawstring pouch that had the words Tiffany & Co. embossed onto it in black lettering. “I didn’t want to ruin the effect or give it away, or worse, make you think it was something fancier, and then disappoint. That store has a wide range of items,” he said, then got his boxers off the floor and started to pull them on.

Tiffany & Co. He bought her Tiffany?! Rangiku’s heart was beating in her chest as her eyes widened. Gin hadn’t ever bought her jewelry. Shoes. Bags. A car. Clothes. A house. Nothing as intimate as jewelry and most of the stuff she owned was knock offs. Her free hand ran over the soft surface of the pouch and Rangiku let out a sob as tears filled her eyes. 

“Oh, shit, Ran… if you don’t like them, we can take them back and get you something else, I’m sorry,” he said, grabbing at her shoulders and pulling her to him. Maybe one of her attackers had worn rose gold. Shit. He didn’t mean to upset her.

She shook her head. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever given me,” she said. Rangiku hugged Shuhei tightly. “Gin never--and you did and--and--” A fresh round of tears.

“Ohh, Baby Girl, don’t cry! Ohh,” he said in a soothing voice, patting her hair. “It’s not… I mean, I gave it to you because I wanted to and you deserve nice gifts. You’re my girl. I want to make you happy,” he said simply, kissing her cheek and then pulling back to smile at her. “Don’t cry, Ran.’

After several moments of sniffling, Rangiku nodded. “You make me happy. You make me--I love you. I love you. I love you.” She kissed him after every declaration. “I want to get pretty for you. I want to wear these. I want you to make love to me while wearing them.”

His brows rose and he grinned at her. “That can be arranged, my sweet,” he said and stood, taking her hand and pulling her up to standing, then tapped her on the ass. “Go get ready. I’ll rinse off in the other bathroom and meet you downstairs. I want those other two dicks, and maybe even Hailey, drooling over you when you come down. Then I am going to gloat. Gloat gloat gloat that my girl is the best and they are all sad sacks of shit compared to you,” he said chuckling, then stopped comically and said, “oh, sorry, too soon with the shit jokes?”

Her mouth twitched as she tried to keep a straight face. It didn’t work. Rangiku threw her head back and laughed. She kissed him again before walking over to the closet and opening it. She ran her fingers down the row of dresses before picking out a shimmery halter style, above the knee, ivory dress. She turned around and looked at Shuhei. “I’m going to make everyone drool.”

He made a show of raising his hands over his head and them bringing them forward and down as he bowed, “Yes, my goddess. Slay, my goddess.” He chuckled and walked over to her, pressing a kiss into her temple, and said, “See you soon, Love,” before heading to the door.

He turned around and winked before he stepped out. He was super cool and not at all a huge, raging dork.

Surprisingly it didn’t take Rangiku all that long to clean herself up and get ready. She knew what Shuhei liked and did it. A simple eye. Not too much contouring. She looked at her face, turning it from side to side as she did her highlight. The final touch was the peachy toned liquid lipstick. She hoped the rose gold heels and the earrings finished off her outfit nicely. As she walked out of their room and grabbed the off-white clutch, she looked at her phone to see she had more missed calls. 

Rangiku sighed and turned off her phone. She wasn’t going to let Gin Ichimaru fuck with her tonight. She was super careful with how she entered the room, making sure that they all were focused on something else before she stepped into the living area. “I’m ready,” she said, softly.

Shu was on his feet and walking toward her but was cut off at the pass by Hailey.

“Holy Hot Mama!” she said, wolf-whistling and putting her hand on Rangiku’s arm, sliding it down the length and letting her fingertips brush over the fabric of her front on the way down. “I might be ovulating for the first time since I stopped breastfeeding, and therefore a bit on edge, but, damn, Ran. Kinda want to make out with you right now.”

“I’m watching. I’m sitting in front,” Ichigo said, raising a hand and looking at the two women with hungry eyes. “I might not just be watching, actually.”

Shuhei turned at him and glared. This was a bit more than what he had asked for.

“Ichi, I didn’t need that mental image, but fuck if it ain’t hot.” Grimmjow said as he eyed the two blondes. “Something about how blondes do it better comes to mind.”

Rangiku blushed before putting her arm around Hailey’s waist. “I mean I’ve dated one woman before, though Hails might be more up to my speed,” she said, leaning her head against the woman’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t stop you Hailey, but...” She glanced at Shuhei and glared at Grimmjow and Ichigo.

Hailey glanced over at Shuhei, who was looking at the women at this point while wearing a conflicted, somewhat dreamy and suffering expression. She smirked at him and stepped toward Rangiku, tipping her chin up and kissing her on the mouth, letting her other hand raise from her hip up to her breast and lifting it a bit before backing up. “Well, then. I’m going to be busy for awhile. Enjoy your date, kids,” Hailey said, looking at her men with a sassy expression and walking toward her bedroom.

“Wait a minute, Hails. Let’s talk about this,” Grimmjow said following after her, not waiting for Ichigo.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Ichigo said quickly, hurdling over the coffee table and chasing after his lovers.

Shuhei stood there with his mouth hanging open and a dumb look on his face. “Did that--- Did she just really---” He didn’t know whether to be jealous or horny but he was leaning horny by a lot and had to adjust his package.

Rangiku smiled at him and then walked the rest of the steps towards him. “That did just happen and--” she reached down to grab his dick “--it looks like you certainly enjoyed it. Maybe one of these days we can invite another woman into our bed. Hailey isn’t bad looking. I don’t know if she’d go for it.” The blonde took her boyfriend’s hand and slipped her fingers between his. “How do you like it?”

“It? The dress? Your body in it? The way you’re looking at me right now? Fuck, Ran,” he looked behind them and then quickly pinned her to the hallway wall, dropping his mouth to her ear. “I want to bend you over right now and fuck you until I can’t see straight. But I kind of want to show you off a bit more, first,” he snarled quietly.

With a sly smile, Rangiku guided Shuhei’s hand under her dress and let him feel that she had no panties on under it. “I’ve still got your load in me,” she whispered in his ear, before slipping away from him, giggling.

“I’ll give you a couple more before the end of the night,” he said, following after her.

***

Rangiku looked on her laptop as she saw the entertainment news. It seemed Ulquiorra and Orihime had enjoyed a nice getaway in wine country. There were rumors that the musicians were planning on buying a house near Napa Valley. She had to laugh. As if Ulquiorra would leave Malibu. The farthest the man might move was Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, the rumor blogs also went to the effort of picking apart Orihime’s appearance again. There were also rumors she was looking round in the middle.

The blonde knew those people were just fishing for something.

The date with Shuhei had gone off spectacularly, with them laughing and having a great time talking. There was planning and romancing. Lots of giggles and suggestive looks from both parties. Several bottles of wine were consumed. Of course Rangiku teased him in the car, running her fingertips over his cock, and by the time they arrived back at the house, Shuhei had been growling. They had sex twice more that night; Rangiku wore her earrings, making sure that Shuhei saw them in the lamplight. She had never come harder in her life.

She was supposed to be browsing for furniture.

She was supposed to be designing the inside of their home.

_ Their  _ home. Not Shuhei’s house.  _ Their  _ house.

Rangiku just opened Pinterest and started browsing those pages. She had no clue what Shuhei wanted. She had no clue what his style was. Maybe the next Glow Up episode should be focused on him. “Shu?” she called out from where she was sitting in the kitchen.

“Yes, my dear?” he said, not lifting his head from his phone but dragging his eyes toward her.

“Can I film you for my next Glow Up? I don’t know what your style is exactly but I need our home to look magazine worthy.”

“So you’re going to make me over or make our house over? It’s a bit confusing.”

“You, silly. I need to learn your style to decorate the house.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but… well, actually no. I do have things I like and things I don’t. I could use the publicity; it’s been months since I’ve had an appearance,” he said with a smile.

Ran smiled at him. “You’re always making appearances on episodes of It’sRan,” she replied sticking her tongue out at him.


	54. Chapter 54

The first episode of Glow Up was posted on the It’sRan Youtube channel. There were tens of thousands of likes and comments about Hailey. Rangiku showed them to the blonde woman. “You’ve got it going on, Mama,” she told Hailey. “People love you.”

“Well, my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,” she replied. “And one girl, apparently,” she said with a blush and a smile. “Sorry about the unsolicited hormones.”

“You’re fine. Really. I wasn’t bitching about it. You’re not the first female that I’ve locked lips with. The nicest looking, though,” Rangiku said, smiling back.

Hailey laughed. “Well I think I did well for myself with my first.”

This time Rangiku blushed. “Honestly I think you made Shu’s brain go into overdrive and short out. Might have happened with that blue-headed perv too. I’m sure Ichigo had ideas too?”

“He always has ideas,” she said, a bit wistful but with a hint of exasperation. “So, who’s next on the schedule for a makeover?”

“Hmmm? Oh, well I originally did Orihime but I never got to give her the--Wait a minute… Are you good at talking to people, like coordinating and stuff?”

“Like scheduling? Not particularly. Why do you ask?”

Rangiku looked up from the blank pad of paper in front of her. “Shuhei’s next on the list but I wanted to finish Orihime. Maybe take Ulquiorra through the ringer. I can do Ichigo and Grimmjow but after that I’m lost. I keep thinking Orihime’s assistant would be a good candidate, but I don’t really know.”

“Yeah, so would Ulq’s. Nan would be super cute if she had the tools.”

“Nanao would never get a makeover. She’s been that way for years. I knew her in college,” Rangiku told Hailey. “Someone just needs to hire me to be a stylist. I could make bank off of several celebrities.”

“Would you enjoy it?” Hailey asked, a bit skeptical. “Celebrities have big egos. You’d have to dial back the Ran-knows-best schtick quite a lot for some.”

“But I do know best,” Rangiku said, wrinkling her nose. “And fuck their egos. All I would have to do is drag them for cellulite or something. I think I would much rather work for friends than a stranger. I listen to my friends.”

Hailey raised her brows and turned around, saying nothing. She knew better than to pick a fight with a diva. “Well, it’s good to know what you want,” she said, throwing things into a blender. “Want some smoothie?”

“Mmmm, sure.” Rangiku nodded and looked at Hailey for a moment. “Do you think Ivan or Grimmie need a makeover?”

“Probably Grimm. He still looks like OIV.”

“Ouch,” Rangiku said making some notes. “I take it you weren’t crazy about Ulq?”

“He was an ass back in school and drives Grimm up the wall. He’s okay I guess, now, but before… What. A. Dickhole.”

Rangiku nodded. She had seen everything that Ulquiorra did on his rise of fame. “Can I ask a question? It might be too personal, but I’ve been dying to ask you. Why don’t you want to call attention to yourself?”

There was a sigh. “I understand that you’ve been through something similar, but I handled it differently. I was only sixteen when it started, but it wasn’t so awful until I started college at OSU. After he raped me I didn’t want to stand out anymore.”

Oh. Rangiku cleared her throat and then twisted a lock of blonde hair around a finger. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. I’ve been assaulted twice now. The first time I was entertaining someone, as Gin called it. The fucker drugged me and had his way with me. I told him to stop and then passed out.”

The vlogger sighed heavily and shook her head. “It’s in the past for me. I like to pretend that it never happened.”

Hailey gave her a knowing look. “Have you talked to anyone? Does Shu know about the first?”

“No. He knows what Gin had his goons do to me,” Rangiku replied, glancing at Hailey and then looking away. “I’ve started going to a doctor to talk about it.”

The other woman nodded. “That’s good. Doctors are lifesavers. But still, having a loved one you can lean on and feel protected by is irreplaceable. Believe it or not, that’s how I got together with Ichigo.”

“I don’t want Shuhei to know about Aizen. What he did to me was--” Rangiku looked down at her lap. “I feel protected by Shuhei. I feel safe in his arms.”

Hailey’s face fell, and her eyes took on a horrified cast. “Aizen? Aizen!? Fucking hell. Thank god he is rotting away.” She had to sit down or she was going to be sick.

Rangiku’s head snapped up. She stared at the other blonde for a long moment. “Sousuke Aizen. The same guy who attacked Orihime. How do you--”

“What are you two ladies doing in here? Gossiping?” Grimmjow asked, coming into the kitchen, shirtless and wearing shorts. He didn’t even cast a glance at them.

“Aizen,” Hailey said, a crease between her brows and strength in her voice. “It just came up.”

Grimmjow’s head swung towards Hailey. “You okay, Hails?” He moved over the space between him and his lover and knelt down in front of her. “Do you want me to get Ichi?”

She smiled at him; there was tension in her lips, though, and her hand wasn’t totally steady as she reached out to stroke his hair. “I’m alright, I think. Besides, you’re here. It will be fine.”

Grimmjow gave a nod and stood up, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll be nearby if you need me, okay?”

As he walked away, Rangiku watched Hailey. “Grimmjow knows?”

She nodded. “Of course he knows; he’s my family.”

“I’m afraid to tell Shu. He was--He wasn’t happy when he found out about what happened in February,” Rangiku said quietly.

“Ran, that’s only natural. Everyone wants to protect their loved ones and gets upset when they can’t. I’m sure he did not blame you or he wouldn’t be with you.”

“We weren’t together. We were talking about dating when he came back from the tour. He was just so angry and it scared me. I don’t know how to bring up what happened with Asshole.”

Hailey shrugged. “I brought it up with Grimmjow when we started developing our own bond, but not right away. Something came up that made me feel it was necessary that he know. When the time is right for you to tell Shu, I think you’ll know.”

Giving Hailey a smile, Rangiku stood up. “I’m going to go lay down. I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories, Hailey,” she said quietly before gathering her stuff up.

***

Shu had been in the office that day with Hanataro, talking about album concept ideas, when there was a knock on the door of the coordinator’s office.

“May I help—?” the timid man began.

“I need to have a word with Mr. Hisagi,” Byakuya Kuchiki said. “If you’ll come with me.”

Shuhei watched as the stoic man walked away and then looked back to Hanataro. “Should I…?”

“Yeah, you better,” Hanataro said.

Shuhei followed the other man down the hall and to his office. Byakuya did not offer him a seat, but closed the door and stood across the desk from the other man. “I understand that you’ve begun a relationship with Rangiku Matsumoto, is that correct?”

“Yeah, I have, is there something wrong?” Shu asked, feeling defensive.

“I have something that I’d been holding onto for her that I’d like you to give her. It seems ill-advised for me to hold onto it any longer. Would you be so kind as to deliver it to her?” he asked, oh so polite and oh so smooth, making Shuhei feel oh so uncomfortable.

“Uh, yeah, I guess. What is it?”

“I’m sorry, that is a private matter, Mr. Hisagi. I appreciate your cooperation. Good day, Mr. Hisagi.”

“Uh… yeah, back at ya,” Shu said, taking the large, black, unmarked shopping bag off of the man’s desk and returning to Hanataro’s office. “Uh, Han, can we pick this back up later? Something has come up.”

Hanataro agreed and Shuhei decided to go play delivery boy right away, rather than consider another possibility. When he got home, he found Rangiku in bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Productive day, I see?” he asked with a bit of sarcasm. “I have a special delivery for you, from Mr. Happy himself, Byakuya Kuchiki.”

Rangiku turned her head and looked at him before sitting up. “What? What do you mean a special delivery from Byakuya?” She asked, concern painting her face.

“I don’t know. He pulled me out of a meeting, asked about us, and then asked me to give this to you and I was dismissed. He’s not a very warm and fuzzy guy.”

“I know that,” she said, a bit guarded. “What did he give you to give me?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t look. I’m curious though,” he said, setting the bag on the bed. “Unless you’d rather I not stick around for this.”

Rangiku looked at the man and then shifted on the bed to reach out to take the bag. It was Byakuya’s signature gift giving style. She had seen it before for stupid holidays; plain black gift bag, black nylon handles, no frills, no writing. It felt somewhat heavy. The blonde opened the bag and moved the black tissue paper to the side and murmured, “Fuck.”

Inside the dark interior of the bag lay several items. She recognized the white lace underwear. She had worn them to his office but threw them in the trash because Byakuya had ripped the delicate lace sides trying to get them off of her after she had teased him by grinding against him. She had wiped herself on them after their session of fucking before tossing them.

Fuck.

She poured the contents on the bed and glared at them. A letter in a white envelope. A cheap burner phone. A small black box that was stamped BVLGARI with their signature cream ribbon tied onto it.

No. No. Nononononono. This wasn’t happening. Not today.

Rangiku’s blue eyes glanced at Shuhei. She was trembling slightly, scared of his reaction. When it didn’t appear he was going to say anything, she swallowed and picked up the letter. It wasn’t even sealed. The flap was tucked into the envelope. A sick feeling came over her as she pulled out a sheet of stationary.

Byakuya’s handwriting was perfectly penned and straight on the smooth surface.

_Dear Ms. Matsumoto,_

_It has come to my attention that our arrangement has come to an end. I do wish you had informed me of this matter in person. Enclosed herewith please find a collection of personal items I feel should be restored to you, together with a gift I had purchased and planned to present to you at our next liaison. I am saddened to be unable to present it to you in person, and had considered not giving it to you, but ultimately it is a gift to convey the esteem from my person to yours, and to that end, I give it to you now._

_Also enclosed is a phone with my personal contact information programmed. Should you feel the need - or_ urge - _to contact me in the future, feel free to make use of it. My very best wishes for your future endeavors. I will follow your career with interest and look back fondly at our interactions._

_Kindest regards,_

_Byakuya K._

The asshole. He had written over the word urge twice to make it stand out. She looked at the phone and then at the jewelry box. Laying the letter to the side, Rangiku picked up the box, undid the bow and wiggled the top off. She gasped.

Byakuya Kuchiki didn’t do anything half-assed. So his gift was a bit _extravagant_ . The necklace had to be worth a pretty penny. Of course it was. _It was fucking Bulgari_. There were diamonds and aquamarines adorning the white gold surface. She knew this had to cost several thousands of dollars.

Rangiku put the lid on the thing and then gathered everything up and back into the bag. She couldn’t take this. She had to return it all to the record executive.

“Well, then,” Shu said, not able to really understand what was going on here. “I guess he, uh, has a bit of a thing for you.”

“Shu, no. It was a couple of fucks in his office. Okay more than a couple, but there was nothing between us,” Rangiku said. She stood up and walked around the bed to where he stood, reaching a hand out to grab his. “Baby, I love you.”

He frowned. What did her loving him have anything to do with— Oh. “Uh… well, I love you too. I didn’t realize that you used to have feelings for Kuchiki. Um, are you okay?” What the fuck? Why was he asking if she was okay? He certainly wasn’t enjoying this.

“Shuhei. I didn’t feel anything, but… I sassed him. I liked pissing him off. It was fun to see him get agitated.” Rangiku looked at her boyfriend’s face. What the hell was he thinking? She stood right in front of him and stared into his eyes. “Shu?”

“Yeah,” he answered, having to refocus his eyes to look at her.

“Talk to me please,” she said to him. “What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know. What did he say?“

Rangiku had put everything but the letter into the bag. She turned around and grabbed it off the bed, handing it to him. “Read it.”

His brow creased. “No, it’s not my business to read his private words to you, Ran. I just wanted to know what he means by all this.”

“But it’s not private if we’re together, Shuhei. You want to know. I have no clue what this is. I don’t know why he gave me jewelry. I don’t know why he would give me panties that he ruined. I don’t know why he gave me his phone number or anything!” Rangiku huffed. “I’m going to give it back to him. I can’t keep it.”

“Really? Why? I mean, clearly the guy wants you in his life or he wouldn’t give you the phone. I think he’s jealous. If you don’t give it back he’s going to think he has a chance, so… good call, I guess.” He was feeling insecure despite what she was saying. Byakuya Kuchiki had it all. Deep, deep pockets. Family money. He looked like some kind of god and carried himself like one too.

Rangiku sighed. “The last time I saw him was… I don’t even remember. It was sometime last year. Maybe if I had visited him--He’s never said anything to me that would indicate he wanted me around for more than just a piece of ass. I don’t need a sugar daddy. I can do this on my own.”

Shuhei sighed and sat down next to her. “I know you can. I know you can do it on your own and you need to prove it to yourself that you can.” He rubbed her thigh. “I’ll bring it back for you, if you want, next time I go to the office.”

She shook her head. “I have to do this. If you do it, he’ll probably think you never gave it to me. I’ll just leave it with his secretary or assistant, maybe even hang it on the doorknobs of his office.” Rangiku sighed heavily. Things were pressing on her shoulders. This relationship thing was complicated when it should have been simple. People from her past kept popping up. She had secrets that needed to be told or reburied. “It’s my responsibility. Not yours. I’d like to hear his reasons for this, though.”

“I get it. I guess if Momo sent Shiloh to me I’d have some questions,” he said, adding a nervous chuckle.

“Shiloh? Who is Shiloh? I thought you said you didn’t have any kids?”

“Shiloh was our dog, well, her dog. But the way that Princess is Ulq’s dog but acts like Heemz’ shadow.”

Rangiku scowled for a moment. _Our dog_ ; Momo and Shuhei’s dog. The dog he was so happy petting on Momo’s Instagram--FUCK. This had to stop. Her brain had to stop the back and forth and the jealousy. It was starting to fucking annoy her. “Oh; like how Ash is my cat but Grimmjow has claimed her and they’re buddies? Yeah, I get that.”

A smile and a nod. “Yeah, exactly. Anyway, let me know when you want to pay Byakuya a visit. I’ll take you out for cake afterwards as a reward and brain shampoo.”

“Um, I found a car for myself. It’s nothing fancy. Ulq says you just have to put the title of the Mazda2 in your name and it’s yours,” Rangiku said to him, hoping he’d go along with the subject change.

“Oh. Um, okay. Awesome. So, I’m keeping the 2? What are you getting?”

“I am thinking a Mazda6,” she said. “I really like your car but need something a bit bigger.”

“That’s a nice car…” He paused. Something was different. He didn’t know what. “Want to go furniture shopping tomorrow? I’m free. Or are you busy glowing people up?”

Rangiku glanced at him. “I was thinking about bothering Orihime to refilm her glow up. I never finished it all; the hair and the makeup. I never got her reveal. We never went out to show her off. The gossip blogs are going on about how she looks pregnant and frumpy. She’s not pregnant or frumpy. I also need to call Mr. Cifer and ask him about Lore’s cake and the budget thing. I need to pick up the car tomorrow. I’ve scheduled a time to see it and test drive it. The seller only wants fifteen for it. It’s a 2020. We can go furniture shopping. If you want to use the stuff from my apartment, then we pretty much have a bedroom. You’d have to buy your own dressers and stuff. I still need to go through my things and downsize. There’s not a closet big enough to fit everything. I would need the garage or a basement to put everything.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “There are four bedrooms and one of us. Use the room next to the master for your clothes. We can use your furniture for now. We need living space furniture and a place to eat; no more eating on the bed.”

“I ate at my desk most of the time,” she stated. “What about popcorn in bed while watching a movie?”

He crossed his arms and shook his head. “I don’t need kernels in my crack while you’re riding me. We have a theater room for popcorn.”

“You’re no fun, but let me show you some stuff I found while browsing Pinterest. Like did you know you can order complete rooms from furniture sites? Ikea has the option, Wayfair, uh, Pottery Barn.” Rangiku reached behind Shuhei and grabbed her phone off the pillow. She “accidentally” swatted Byakuya’s bag to the floor. “So I was thinking, since I’m going to be filming It’sRan episodes in the house, that we kind of make it Instagram glammed, or at least comfortable and stylish.”

“Sure. Just don’t touch my music room,” he said, nudging her shoulder with his. To be honest, he was not into her choice in interiors; it was too feminine for his tastes. But if it made her happy he’d be good with it.

She nudged him back. “I’ll make sure to add some manly touches just to let people know that I live with a big rockstar who keeps me smiling. I could ask Hailey who decorated their house.”

“I think she and Ichigo did, with a bit of Grimm. Anything that seems artsy is her. Anything that seems statusy is Ichigo. Anything that seems dirty ashtray and hangover is Grimm,” he said, laughing.

“Their style fits them. We have to find a style that fits us. You don’t seem too big on my style.”

“Eh, I think you’ll find that I’m not too much into style, period. It’s not yours or anyone else’s. I just like things comfortable and not bug infested, hence no popcorn in bed. You know what?” he explained, laughing. “I should make one of these Pinterest boards to horrify you with what I think looks “good”,” he said, using finger quotes.

Rangiku appraised her boyfriend for a moment. “I think you should. It would give me a bit of an easier time trying to glow you up.” She smiled and kissed him. “I love you, Shuhei Hisagi.”

“I love you, Rangiku Matsumoto.” Rangiku Hisagi didn’t sound bad, either, and it had almost accidentally crossed his lips. Maybe someday.

***

“Miss Matsumoto! How wonderful that you could come,” Kisuke said in his customary cheer. “I trust you brought your bathing suit? Yoruichi does not like to sunbathe alone.”

“Yeah, you brought one, right?” Shuhei asked her quietly. This was a bit of a big deal; being invited to Kisuke’s annual June barbecue. Not a lot of artists from Soul Society were invited, only the ones he had taken a personal interest in. It would be bad for Shuhei to fall out of favor.

Rangiku held up the hot pink leather tote bag she had brought and grinned at the other man. “I certainly did. Two choices even, a bikini or a one piece. Thank you so much for inviting us. You have a lovely home, Kisuke. I love the entire look of it.”

“Thank you. It’s all my lovely Yoruichi’s doing. I simply live here and enjoy the fruits of her labor, isn’t that right, sugar plum?”

The dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes as she passed him, but did use a finger to trail down his throat from his chin. “Indeed. If you had your way, the place would look like an Egyptian bizarre. I’ll show you to the pool house, Rangiku.”

The blonde woman gave Shuhei a kiss before following Yoruichi. “Don’t get into trouble, Shu,” she said with a smirk as she walked away.

“So, you and little Shuhei, huh?” Yoruichi asked the blonde after they had walked out of earshot. “He’s a cutie.”

Rangiku blushed and nodded. “He’s a good man. He treats me well. I’m lucky to have him,” she answered. “He told me he was a baker, and then it comes out that he had an album. I was shocked.”

“Yeah, he had to keep his lips sealed. We wanted the Kingdom Tour to be hyped hard with a lot of publicity in a short amount of time. It was so successful, too. Poor Orihime is expected to keep up her Vega persona now that it’s all over. It’s not fair. She had never been a glam artist; I suppose the nature of the album set up unrealistic expectations of what she is all about now. We thought that Shuhei’s contributions to the tour would temper her show’s grandiose feel, but apparently not. Kisuke adores Shuhei, though. He wants to meet with him soon about some exciting ideas. The changing room is just here,” she rattled off.

She nodded and stopped in front of the door. “You guys did really great with Shu. It’s nice that he’s so humble about everything. He’s a star but denies it, saying he’s a regular guy.” Rangiku turned enough to look at Shuhei talking to Urahara. “He’s gonna be big… Bigger than Ulquiorra or Orihime.”

“Could be,” the older woman said before disappearing around a corner.

The blonde woman looked around before she disappeared into the room. She was amazed at how big the Urahara-Shihoin estate was. It was simply... grand. The house was big and opulent. The guest house was bigger than Ulquiorra’s house. This pool house was bigger than her apartment had been. She had dreamed to live in such style.

That was before Shu came around. 

Now she dreamed about houses in the suburbs and three men looming just beyond the windows.

Rangiku shook her head, putting her bag down on a bench. As soon as the romper was off her body, the woman looked in the bag. The bikini she had brought was one of the ones she had grabbed when she last visited the storage unit. It was on the nude side of the pink spectrum with triangle-shaped pieces of fabric that tied around her chest and waist. She had picked out the same color cheeky bottoms with cut out sides. With her golden tan skin, Rangiku knew it would stand out.

She got her tits into the top, wondering if she should call Shuhei in here to help her with tying it. The neck was secure, all she would need is someone to tighten the other string. Rangiku bent over to grab the bottoms when she heard a voice from the door.

“Hey!” A familiar voice from the other side of the door called. “Are you in there Rangiku?”

“Yeah? Come in. I’m almost done.”

Orihime came in with a beach bag. “Oh! Do you need a hand?”

Rangiku had just got those skimpy bottoms over her asscheeks. They barely covered her hips. She looked at the redhead and nodded. “Could you? I’d ask Shu but he’s… handsy.” She rolled her eyes and smiled at Orihime. “It’s good to see you here.”

“You too,” she said, grabbing the ends of the strings and starting to tie. “Mine is a little more idiot-proof,” she said with a giggle. “So how is it going with Shu? Ulquiorra mentioned you might still be looking for an apartment?”

“Uh, not really. Things between Shu and I were… A bit rocky. I needed to know my options,” Rangiku said. She smiled at Orihime. “Things are good now. But it turns out I don’t have a lot of options.”

A relieved sigh was first. “I’m glad things are better. But why few options? Hailey’s glow up episode was well received. It’s not profitable enough?”

“I need more people to Glow Up. I never finished yours. I’d like to either refilm you or finish it. It seems you have tongues waggling. Napa Valley? Seems… Geriatric.”

Orihime took her shorts off and pulled the side of her panties down, showing the stretch marks on her hips. “I know. And the latest is this. Apparently I’m too much of a fat ass to hang out in a bathing suit on the beach in front of my own damn house.” She sighed bitterly, whipping her shirt off an chucking it at her bag and then grabbing her red bikini. “Ulquiorra had to talk me into bringing this, today. I still have my doubts.”

Rangiku came over to stand in front of Orihime and took a hold of the woman’s chin. “You listen here. You’re not fat. You’re beautiful. Your husband loves you. My boyfriend thinks you’re awesome. People love you Orihime.”

Her eyes fell to the side. “I know he does, it’s just… I’m twenty-three years old and they won’t stop talking about what I should wear and what I should weigh and how I’m not sexy enough and the whole town is just hungry to gang up on someone and I’m it. It’s discouraging.”

“I’m going to hug you,” Rangiku said before wrapping her arms around Orihime. “Look, they’re jealous. They’re trying to bring you down. You’ve got to be a bad bitch. You can be Orihime at home and occasionally out in public, like going to a friend’s or the gym or the grocery. You need to have that Vega mentality when you go out to work or shopping. Bust balls and leave their jaws hanging.”

“It sounds exhausting, but I guess. Maybe this time I will defer to you for the glow up. It can’t hurt.” She got out of her underwear and shimmied into her tiny deep red bikini. “You sure I don’t look like a sausage?”

“Darling, I’d eat you up if I could,” Rangiku said with a smile. “I wish I had brought a cover up. I feel...bare. Maybe I should wear the one piece.”

“No way, Ran. You look like a million bucks.”

The blonde looked at Orihime and sighed. “So, are things better since we’re not around? I miss talking to you and annoying Ulq. I miss King and Adonis too.”

“It’s a bit lonely without you two, but things are improving between us. The dogs miss you guys, too. King whines.”

Awww. Rangiku’s heartstrings tugged. She hugged Orihime again before letting her go. “We need to redo the glow up. I have better ideas this time. We can go out and slay the night.”

Orihime grinned. “Okay, now I’m excited. You know we’re both homebodies, but once in awhile a night out is, uh, refreshing. Speaking of night outs, no more poop incidents?”

“Not really. I learned from a YouTube video what to do; you know… how to change a diaper. It was eye-opening but I don’t think I’m going to have kids after what happened,” Rangiku said.

Orihime gave her a “been there” kind of laugh. “Yeah, that’s been another source of tension. Ever since Lorelei was born Ulquiorra has suddenly been very interested in kids. I’m not. Not now. But never say never, I guess.”

A smile came to Rangiku’s lips. “Are you ready to go out there and wow those boys?” the blonde said as she grabbed her bag and folded her outfit, putting it in the bag.

“I feel like we should have Grimmjow play us an introduction, or at least Kisuke with a bitchin’ boom box,” she said with a giggle. “Boob check! Yours look perfect.”

A laugh left Ran and she pulled the door open. “So do yours. C’mon. Let’s strut our stuff.”

Orihime let Rangiku lead, and her eyes searched for her husband’s face immediately.

Shuhei seemed to have sensors, because as soon as Ran came out, he stopped listening to Kisuke and watched her move. “Excuse me,” he said, walking toward her.

Ulquiorra was talking to someone and he heard Shuhei excuse himself. He followed the man and his eyes dilated as he saw his wife. “I see my wife,” he said, brushing off whatever important person he’d been having a conversation with and following Shuhei’s footsteps. Although it was summer, Ulquiorra wore his customary dark jeans but had on a white t-shirt. His hair was gathered into a messy bun at the back of his neck. “Woman, look at you. I might have to ask your godfather if we can stay in the guest house,” he whispered to Orihime.

“Let’s,” she replied. “Isane can let the dogs out.”

Rangiku smirked at the other couple before she turned her attention to Shuhei. “Well?” she asked turning around.

“I’ve come to shield you from the wolves,” he growled. “Your secret admirer is here, too. He’s inside though. Good thing, too, because damn, baby girl, you got a boyfriend?”

She blushed and glanced around. Secret admirer? “I should have brought a cover up. I wasn’t thinking. I should go put my outfit back on,” she said to Shuhei.

He grabbed her by the waist. “Nuh uh. I want every man here to wish for my death. I want every woman here to clutch her lover for fear that you’ll steal him. You are glorious. Show it off,” he said into her ear. His breath smelled like whiskey.

“Shu,” Rangiku whined softly. She giggled and buried her face into his chest. “Naughty boy. Are you sure? I don’t--” She wanted to tell him that if Gin or Byakuya were here, she didn’t want to bring attention to herself.

“Absolutely. But if you want some mystery, you could borrow a sarong or something from Yoruichi. She has a basket of things in the pool house, Orihime says. But otherwise you could just get wet and stay in the water. I’d serve you pretty drinks.”

A hint of teeth sank into her bottom link as she smirked. “One of us has to be sober. You should let loose a bit. Though I think I’m already wet,” she said to him.

“I’d check for myself, but maybe not here,” he growled into her ear. “It’s early. If you want to have fun, have fun. We can always get an Uber or go home with Grimm.”

“Behave, Shuhei. We are at your boss’ home,” Rangiku said with a giggle. “So who is here?”

“The Kuchiki siblings are inside avoiding the sun. Grimm, Hailey and Ichigo are here. Um, Maria Cifer is here, surprisingly. Who else…” he said, trailing off and scanning the property.

Great. Not only was Byakuya here, his damn sister was here. Rangiku huffed softly and shifted where she stood. “If Maria’s here, Gin’ll be here. Soon. He always shows up fashionably late,” she muttered.

“I don’t know. When I saw her I asked Kisuke and he told me he was not on the list. So there’s hope. He told me, and this is between us, that there’s a shake up brewing at Espada. Also, there is an issue of a former Espada artist that is up for parole. It’s a PR issue that needs to be addressed behind closed doors and not in the office,” he said. Shuhei stood up straight and looked at Rangiku with a loaded expression.

She had known that Mayuri was up for parole. He had told her as much, and unlike Nel, the man was perfectly sane and normal when the drugs weren’t in his system. Rangiku nodded. “If there’s something going on at Espada… Gin wouldn’t allow it. Tosen won’t allow it. It’s none of my concern. I cut ties with Gin a while ago. C’mon let’s mingle.”

They did. The party was pleasant and Gin did not show up. However, it was obvious when Kisuke, Yoruichi, Maria, and the other players at Soul Society disappeared into the residence at dusk.

“I guess it’s happening,” Shu mentioned to his girlfriend.

Rangiku had caught Byakuya’s eye before he went inside and she had to ignore him. She was tired of the bullshit and the heavy looks. Why couldn’t people in Los Angeles just talk? Did he not have the balls to come up and speak to her with Shuhei just standing there? “Does Ulq know what’s going on? That’s his mother who just walked into a den of sharks. She’s the only one from Espada here. Go ask him,” she prodded.

“Okay,” he said, a bit on the impressionable side after several drinks. He walked over to Ulquiorra and put his arm over the man’s shoulder.

“Dude. Your mom went inside,” he said. “Think it’s okay? Ran’s worried.”

Ulquiorra looked at Shuhei’s hand on his shoulder and then looked at the man who was touching him. “Um, well, she mentioned Mayuri’s release and they’re trying to broker some kind of deal concerning my return to their label. Won’t fucking happen. I’m happy sitting on my ass at Soul Society, so far.”

“We need to finish our song. We should do some more. I’m thinking Backstreet Boys covers.” Clearly the man was a bit tipsy.

“Dude, do I look like I belong in a boy band? I’m assure you I don’t. Also your girlfriend isn’t worried. She’s fishing for gossip to break on her vlog. Why doesn’t she go around to some of the other people here and talk them up? Usually when she’s at parties, she walks the room and schmoozes. She’s practically been glued to your side the entire time.”

“What can I say? I’m irresistible. Also her ex is here and she feels uncomfortable. So be nice, Okay?”

“Ex? Which ex? I don’t see Gin or Mila. Please tell me you didn’t buy that happy little home in the hills for her,” Ulquiorra commented to Shuhei. The words were low enough Orihime wouldn’t hear.

“What? Not exactly, but I’m not talking about them; I’m talking about Byakuya.”

“Who?” Ulquiorra asked almost spitting the drink of beer in his mouth out. He said it loud enough that several people turned their heads. He cleared his throat. “Kuchiki? Are you fucking serious? They were dating?”

“Shh!” Shuhei hushed the other man, punching his shoulder, then leaned in toward him. “Not exactly dating. More like a mutual understanding.”

Ulquiorra gave a chuckle. “I thought you meant yourself for a moment. Ran still looking for an apartment?”

Shuhei’s eyes widened and he stuttered a bit as he tried to ask, “What?”

Green eyes glanced at him. “Ran’s been talking to my dad about how much of a house she can afford. She can’t afford much, from what he was telling me. She can barely afford a two grand a month apartment,” he said.

Shuhei stood there staring at Ulquiorra trying to understand what he was telling him for a minute. “Excuse me,” he said finally, turning and stalking toward where the women stood in a group.

Rangiku was talking with another woman about makeup when she glanced up and saw Shuhei. She smiled at him. “Hey, Babe.”

“I’m leaving. Are you coming?” he stated without much expression.

“Sure, let me get changed?” Rangiku’s brows came together and she turned to the woman she was speaking with to bid her goodnight.

“No. Grab your shit and let’s go. You can change at home.”

“Shu!” Rangiku didn’t have a chance to say anything else. She grabbed the pink tote bag and took off behind him, trying to slip on the flats she had worn. “Shuhei, what’s going on?”

“You weren’t gonna tell me?” he spat, then turned to the valet and asked for an Uber. Kisuke had several at the residence on standby.

That worried expression grew more evident. “Tell you what? Shu? What’s going on?”

“That you’re getting your own place.”

Shit. “I’m not getting my own place. I talked to Jon about that weeks ago, before we got kicked out of Orihime’s. Why would I look for my own place if I’m moving in with you?” Rangiku asked. She knew Ulquiorra had said something about it. She decided to just put the romper on while they were waiting. She looked stupid trying to shimmy the white fabric up her body. Her bikini showed through it.

“Tch. Then why is Ulq all worried that I bought the house for you? Why does his dad know you can’t afford anything now?” Shuhei was clearly stressed, with overly heavy breath and roaming eyes.

Rangiku lifted her chin. It wasn’t anyone’s business what she could or couldn’t afford. “My budget. He outlined what I could afford and any bills I could have. It’s called preparing for the future. I’m trying to be an adult. I’m trying to see if I can afford a fucking car payment, Shuhei. It’s none of that freak’s business what I am doing or talking about!”

“I thought we were planning a future together!” Shuhei shouted, then turned to the side, running a palm down his face. “Dammit Ran, if you want to do that, it’s your choice, but don’t let me believe that it’s gonna be you and me if it’s not.” He could feel his heart starting to tear and he grit his teeth to stave off the sensation.

“Shu, lover, I don’t expect you to pay for everything. It’s not fair to you. You’re not a sugar daddy. You’re my boyfriend,” she said, standing behind him. “I wouldn’t have done what I did if I didn’t think it wasn’t going to work out between us. I love you. We’re not... It’s too soon to combine our finances. I like to shop. I wanted to know if I could afford shopping trips and the car.” Rangiku was at a fucking loss on what to do.

“It’s fine, Ran. I understand. Cifer just wanted to stick it to me and rile me up, I guess. Fucking asshole.” Shuhei turned to his girlfriend and put his arms around her. “I’m glad we’re leaving. These people are dicks.”

“These people are your favorite bosses and coworkers. They’re your fellow… I don’t know,” she said and pulled him closer. “People in this city are assholes, you need to learn this. And Ulq, he is an asshole.”

“Agreed. I’ll send Yoruichi a thank you bouquet,” he said, opening the back door of the car that pulled up to take them home.

Rangiku held him for a moment before taking a step back. “Are you sure you want to leave? I could drive us back home.”

“For real? I told you to enjoy yourself and relax. You didn’t have anything to drink?” he asked, pausing with the door half opened.

“I don’t like being drunk around others, Shuhei.”

“Okay. Do you want to drive? I’ll apologize for the confusion and being an asshole to you, while I’m at it.”

The woman looked at him with a guarded look. “Yeah, we can do that.”

Shuhei ducked his head into the car and apologized, then gave his ticket to the valet and took Rangiku over to a bench to sit. It was going to be another couple of minutes. “Okay. I’m sorry for listening to Ulq. I’m sorry for getting a bit drunk. I’m sorry for making a scene. But you have to realize, Ran, he kind of said the things that I fear the most.”

“Shu, if I didn’t want to be with you, we wouldn’t have had sex like we have. There would still be that barrier between us,” Rangiku said in a low voice to him. “I don’t let people do the things you have done if I’m not going to be with them.”

His cheeks went pink as he looked at her, eyes becoming somewhat round as the meaning of what she was saying sunk in. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck and hiding his face in her hair. “Thank you, Ran. I love you,” he whispered to her.

“I love you too.”

“How distasteful,” a cold voice sounded behind them, not very loud.

Shuhei’s grip on his woman loosened, and he lifted his head to see Byakuya Kuchiki standing just behind and to the right of them, obviously waiting for his car. “Excuse me?” Shuhei said, curling a lip at the other man.

“I said how distasteful. This is a work function. You’ve disrespected your employers by becoming intoxicated and putting on this pathetic display of affection in front of their home. It’s a good thing you’re leaving, Mr. Hisagi,” Byakuya said, not looking at Shuhei until he had finished speaking.

Rangiku turned around and stood up. She untangled Shuhei from her. “Trust me, okay?” she asked the singer before walking over to Byakuya. She didn’t really look at him; she couldn’t. She lowered her voice until only Byakuya could hear it. “I need to speak with you.”

Shuhei could only watch as Byakuya nodded and walked away a distance, hovering his hand behind his girlfriend’s back to guide her to his desired location. It took everything he had to sit there and watch and not call out some kind of obscenity at the man.

Byakuya spared Shuhei a dispassionate glance and then turned his face to Rangiku. “I trust you enjoyed my gift?”

She finally glanced at Byakuya’s face. “I have it put up. I can’t wear it around Shuhei. Why? We never discussed things like this. I saw you what? Last August? September? October? Why Byakuya? Did you send the stuff just to--” Rangiku sighed.

“Rangiku, throughout the entirety of our relationship we have frequently gone through long stretches of time without meeting. It has been our way. I was pleased to learn that you had cut ties with Ichimaru. I thought the time was right to to take our arrangement from one that hid behind closed doors to something more visible. But I was made aware of your relationship to Soul Society’s newest mediocre acquisition. It’s a shame. I had hoped that you might be the woman who would end my status of a widower in mourning. Do you know how many women I have had to wade through to find you? My family have been relentless. There was that awful Omaeda, then Iba, and then my dear sister, in all her wisdom, tried to throw that child, Orihime Inoue, or Cifer, rather, at me,” his nose wrinkled marginally and then smoothed out. “I don’t know if you realize how difficult it is for someone in my position to find a woman up to your caliber.”

“Byakuya,” she said, giving him an unimpressed stare. “He’s not mediocre. I annoy you. With you, I’d be arm candy again. I thought you didn’t pay for women? Are you telling me all those times in your office actually meant something to you?”

His eyes narrowed at her in offense. “I have never paid for a woman. My gift to you was simply that; a gift. And I will not stand here and be insulted by your insinuation to the contrary. Good night, Miss Matsumoto,” he said in a soft, dark voice before turning and returning to the area where Shuhei sat.

Oh no. She wasn’t going to stand for this. She didn’t take this shit from Shuhei and she wasn’t about to let Stick-up-his-ass Kuchiki do it to her. Rangiku walked back over to him. “It wasn’t an insult. I’m merely saying that if we had come to that agreement I’d be arm candy again,” she said, staring up at him. “Thank you for it by the way. You didn’t answer the question though.”

“Do you hear this, Mr. Hisagi? Your girlfriend wishes to know whether I enjoyed fucking her in my office. I did. I do not, however, enjoy mindless idiots who would stand on the idea that I would ever stoop to carrying around arm candy. Be careful, Mr. Hisagi. Apparently loyalty is only a matter of price with this one,” he said, then walked around the front of his car and got in, driving away without another word.

Rangiku had to swallow back her tears. That’s not what she wanted to know from that prick. He had twisted her words and questions. Pleased to learn that she had cut ties with Gin but sent her a fucking necklace and a burner phone? Tch. All he was looking for was someone to hang off his arm at functions and smile prettily and compliment him. She sniffled and turned back to Shuhei. “I didn’t ask him that,” she said in a bitchy tone. Rangiku knew what she was going to do. She was going to march into his office and throw his damn Bulgari necklace at him.


	55. Chapter 55

After Rangiku picked up her new car from the dealership. She drove to Soul Society Music Group, glad that she was dressed to the fucking nines. She spent hours doing her hair and makeup and preparing for this. The black designer cap sleeve minidress and the Tom Ford peep toe heels made her taller than what she really was. She made sure she had grabbed that black gift bags with those “gifts” in them.

Her head was held high as she walked through the halls of the recording label. She was a familiar enough face that no one stopped her. She walked into Byakuya’s office and shut the door without a word.

Only his eyes rose from the paperwork he had been looking over. “Did you have an appointment?” he asked dully, then looked back down.

“You know I don’t. I wasn’t asking you the other night if you enjoyed fucking me,” she said. “Tell me why you would give Shuhei that bag. Why the undies? You knew my number, you could have just texted.”

Byakuya sighed and removed his glasses, looking up at her with a fatigued face. “I do not _text._ I gave the bag to him because he informed me that you were in a relationship together. I thought it would be convenient. The undergarments were yours, and I simply returned them. If that will be all, then, Matsumoto,” he said, putting the glasses back on and turning his chair towards a computer monitor.

Shuhei had told him that they were together? Rangiku sighed and walked over to where the other man sat and perched herself on the corner of the desk. “No that’s not all. I know you’re busy, but I have questions. Until I get an answer, they’re going to bother me, Mr. Kuchiki.”

He tapped a few buttons on his keyboard and clicked his mouse. “That is not my concern. Do I need to ask Sharon to show you the way out?” he asked, not looking at her.

She shook her head a couple of times. Fine, that’s how he wanted to be… Okay. Rangiku set the bag on the desk and then stood up straight. He was a dick anyway. A cold, heartless asshole. “No, apparently I’m not worth your time, but I’m worth your money. Good day, Byakuya.”

Without looking at her, he made a show of taking the bag and dropping it into the trash can next to his desk. “The next time you want to talk to me about the value of money, Matsumoto, you may want to rerun your numbers. You insulted me. I will not entertain your childish whims.” He touched a button and the monitor to his computer went dark, and then he looked at her with a stone face.

“I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m not the most eloquent person. You know this. I just wanted to know if it meant anything to you. You don’t fuck someone every couple of months and then present them with that,” Rangiku pointed to the trash can. “You could have called or sent a card. You clearly look down on Shuhei. You even look down on me, so why would you want anyone to know or see us together?”

He was losing his patience. “You ask too many questions. You speak to hear your own voice. If you wish to have an answer, you will ask one question at a time.”

God he was exasperating. She had asked one damn question and he was obviously avoiding answering it. “Why the gift? It’s nice and everything but why? If you give me something like that it must have meant something. If it did, I want to know why.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You ask a question, then provide your own answer, then provide a supposed reasoning, then re-ask the question. This is tedious, Matsumoto. Simplify.”

“I hate it when you call me by my last name. You know I do. So, can I infer that our tryst meant something to you and that’s why you bought me a generous gift?”

He stood and slapped a piece of paper on the desk. “I said, one. Question. At. A. Time!”

She lifted her chin and dared to look him in the eye. “Did. It. Mean. Anything. To. You?”

“Yes! I said as much in my letter and at the party. Are you illiterate? Hearing impaired?”

“Charming as always,” she said. “Clearly I’ve annoyed you again. I’ll try speaking to you again in a couple of months.”

He sat back down and a tiny quirk played on his lips. “Then, at that time, can I expect to return to our former arrangement?”

Rangiku had turned to leave but she stopped and whirled around. “Is that what you want? Do you want me to break up with him just so you can fuck me?”

He smiled at her then. “Not hardly. Do you want to break up with him? Because by all appearances that is what you mean to do, showing up here in my office without an appointment, closing the door, dressed like that. Do you wish to reconsider the scenario I presented to you, or do you simply wish to make a fool of yourself?”

Rangiku closed her eyes and sighed. She had only meant to come in here and throw his gift back into his face, but it backfired. Byakuya always had the upper hand with her. When she opened her eyes, he was still smiling at her. Fuck. He knew he had her. “Perhaps,” she said quietly.

“So then, Rangiku, what did you really come to see me for today?” he asked, his voice a degree or two warmer than before.

Shuhei’s face flashed through her brain. She didn’t deserve him if she was contemplating this. He deserved someone wholesome who hadn’t forced him into a relationship just because she was a needy little shit. She was still looking at him to fix her somehow. She was still keeping him at an arm’s length away. She was still keeping secrets from him.

Rangiku sighed. He had done everything right. He’d said the right words. She cared for Shuhei, but she was scared of letting him in completely. She was scared of their relationship and giving herself up completely. Shuhei would hate her. He’d never speak to her again if she did this and maybe that’s what he needed to achieve his dreams. Maybe that’s what she needed to achieve her dreams.

She hadn’t given herself enough time. There was no time to heal. No time to think. She just pushed things to the side and never dealt with the trauma, pretending that it never happened. When the memories hit her, it crippled her, making her doubt everything about herself, her life and her relationships.

Did she love Shuhei? To a degree. At this point she wasn’t sure if they would ever be like the Cifers. The Cifers had a fucked up relationship anyway. Ulquiorra, in Rangiku’s eyes, was emotionally manipulating. He had issues. They weren’t couple goals.

Shuhei had covertly confessed his feelings for her on television. Byakuya had done it with a letter and a necklace. Shuhei showed her how much he cared for her every minute they were together. Byakuya was a cold person, even behind closed doors. “I need time,” she said, more to herself than to Byakuya.

The blonde woman turned and walked to the doors of the office.

“Oh, Rangiku?”

“What, Byakuya? Don’t darken your door again?”

“Take all the time you need. Take the gift back. If you want to slam it in my face again later, then so be it,” he said, with uncharacteristic kindness, then turned back to his computer, lifting the bag out of the trash with a finger and setting it back onto his desk without looking at it.

She raised an eyebrow, and with a sigh, she took slow steps over to the desk and grabbed the black bag. She had to get out of there. She needed to think. She didn’t even bid Byakuya good day or good bye. When she got down to her car, Rangiku threw the bag into the trunk of her car before getting inside of it, driving back towards Malibu. She’d go to the Cifer's--no. That prick lived there and she didn’t want to see Ulquiorra Cifer. She had her phone call Jugo.

“Jugo, do you have time to see me today?”

“Sure; for what?”

“I have an idea for you. A pitch,” she replied.

“Is this better than It’s Ran reality show?”

“Ten times better. I can deliver Orihime and Ulquiorra Cifer. Also Shuhei Hisagi, maybe Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.”

“Get down here. Now.”

***

Byakuya sighed. He wasn’t proud of it, but he was a man who had a name to protect. He had to have contingencies. And it wasn’t that he thought Rangiku Matsumoto was a bad person; he was genuinely fond of her, despite her questionable dealings. But this was Los Angeles. Almost everyone had skeletons in their closet.

But not Byakuya. He would be a shame to his family if he let his heart get the better of him. He was free to love, but that love had to be safeguarded. It had been the same with Hisana. His love for her had been genuine, too. But it didn’t mean he fell into it foolishly or without covering his bases.

He saved the video that the webcam had taken of the impromptu meeting with Rangiku and put it into a personal drive. He wouldn’t do anything with it. He’d simply hold onto it just in case.

***

Jugo watched the video of Hailey glowing up. He watched the incomplete video of Orihime. He sat there for a long time. Rangiku started to get nervous. She knew this impromptu meeting would go better than the last one, but still. The way he was staring at the television made her shift several times.

“How many celebrities do you think need this?” He finally asked.

“A lot of people could use it, just not celebrities. YouTube personalities, maybe high-profile people, record execs, authors?” she offered.

Jugo’s eyes shifted towards her. “Authors?”

“C’mon, have you seen the way some of these authors dress? It’s a book signing, you should look your best, not just like you rolled out of your computer desk.”

The blond man seemed to contemplate this information. “Fifteen episodes; once a week. I’ll have to look at scheduling. We need to run promos and such which I’ll use the YouTube videos for. I want Orihime Cifer. I want Ulquiorra Cifer. I want Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his lovers. I know you did the woman; do it again. While you’re doing this, I want a glimpse into their lives.”

“Yay! Thank you Jugo! This is really really great, I can’t wait to get started--”

“I’ve been hearing things about this Shuhei Hisagi.”

Rangiku’s face fell slightly. “Yeah?”

“See if he goes anywhere. He can be your season finale. About fifteen weeks out. I’m giving you a week to film each episode. Got it?”

Fifteen weeks? “Okay, I know him so I’ll just get him out of the w--”

“No. I want to see if he can become the next big thing in that time, or else we’ll put someone else in that spot. If this is successful, you may have yourself a show like the Rumor Mill. I’ll draw up the paperwork and you can take it to your lawyers.”

Rangiku left the skyscraper three hours later with her new contract in her hand. She still needed to talk to Shuhei.

***

He was not in the mood for this - especially not after Kisuke’s party - but he had a job to do, and this was part of it. He knocked.

“Yes, come in.”

“You wanted to speak with me?” Shuhei asked.

“Yes,” Byakuya answered. “First, I apologize for that unpleasant business at Kisuke’s. It was uncalled for, and I hope you’ll let it pass.”

Shuhei wasn’t exactly sure what the fuck that had been about nor was he entirely sure he remembered it all correctly, but still. This wheel he was on with Byakuya needed to be greased. “Sure thing. So?”

“I spoke with Kisuke about your new project. I’d like to help where I can. I think Seireitei would be a good match in providing you with the talent you need to take this project to a new level. You’ve done well with your little acoustic set-up. But if you wish to fill arenas, you need a sound to match. Ichigo Kurosaki has mentioned that you are living together.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Shuhei said, still on guard.

“He would love to have the opportunity to work with you again. You can have an entire orchestra behind you. Imagine the heartstrings that would quiver,” Byakuya said with an airy chuckle.

“Yeah, I guess. Um, I don’t really know what is all going to happen yet--”

“No worries, Mr. Hisagi. I just wanted to let you know that I look forward to working with you. Oh, and tell Rangiku I’m sorry about before. She’ll know what I mean.”

***

Rangiku looked at Hailey. “So, your glow up? We need to do it again and I’m going to do it better.”

“Huh? How? Why? Okay?” she said, confused and amused.

“I pitched Glow Up to Jugo, the guy from the E! Network?” Rangiku said to her. “I got fifteen episodes. You, Grimmjow and Ichigo are on my list to makeover.”

“Wow! That’s amazing! So, I guess they want something new, not the YouTube footage?” Hailey asked, pulling a spoon out of a tub of peanut butter and sticking it into her mouth.

“Well, Jugo said it was good, but I’m Rangiku Matsumoto and I’ll have a professional camera crew so I won’t need to hold a selfie stick and I can get in front of the camera and show of you and your beautiful face, body, home, and life.” Rangiku smiled at the woman and nudged her with her arm. She was putting on this friendly facade so that she didn’t have to think about what was coming.

Shu got home and came into the kitchen. “What are you girls so smiley and happy about?” he asked, grabbing a fresh spoon and dipping it into the peanut butter that Hailey had left sit out open on the counter.

“I, uh, hi, and I got my own show today.” Rangiku’s smile widened a bit and her eyes looked a bit more tense.

“What!? That’s awesome! When-- How? Tell me what it is later let me give you a hug! Congratulations, Ran!” he said, letting the spoon sit in the peanut butter and walking over to his girlfriend.

Rangiku’s arm slipped around his neck and she held him tightly for a few moments. She had to open her eyes really wide to stop the tears coming to them. When she felt like she was composed, she pulled back. “How was your day?”

He kissed her before answering. “Meh. I met with Kisuke again. Oh, and Byakuya Kuchiki. He says sorry for the other night.”

The smile was back. “What did Kisuke say?”

“Oh, pitching concepts for a new album and solo tour. Nothing concrete yet.” There was something off about her. He didn't know what, so he reserved judgment.

“That’s a good thing! Another album is good,” she said. “Can we go to the room?”

That was unexpected. “Sure,” he replied, leading the way and abandoning his peanut butter.

When the door to the bedroom they were using opened, Rangiku sighed. She had already packed her stuff. It was sitting neatly at the foot of the bed. She had nowhere to go, but that was okay. She was going to make it on her own. She needed time. She walked in first and then waited for him. 

“Going somewhere?” He didn't look at her.

“I love you. I know you’re not going to think so, but I do. I forced you into this. I fell for you and you kept telling me I was crazy. I needed you. I clung to you and--” she paused to take a deep breath. “I’m sorry Shuhei. I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve anything you’ve done for me. I needed more time.”

He still didn’t look at her. “Okay. Just tell me. Is it Cifer, Kuchiki, or Ichimaru?”

“I don’t understand? It’s no one. It’s me. I have demons chasing me. I pushed away all this trauma and it kind of makes me doubt everything when I remember,” she replied. 

“Including me.” It wasn’t a question. He exhaled. He took a deep breath and exhaled again. His face felt hot. “I have to go talk to Ichigo about a thing. Take care, I guess.” He turned and walked to the door, not pausing before opening it and going down the hall. He couldn’t do this right now. It felt like his entire reality was crumbling along with his heart.

Rangiku sat down on the bed. She still had stuff to tell him. It was his right to walk away. She found the pad of paper she used and started scribbling on it. If he didn’t want to hear what she had to say, maybe he would read it at a later date.

_ Shu, _

_ Baby, I care for you. I love you. My body loves you. My heart loves you. My brain needs convincing. I told you in February that I needed time. I need more time. I’m still cheering for you. I’m your number one fan. All those songs you sang for me. All that stuff you did for me and to me.  _

_ I can’t let you in completely yet.  _

_ I’m sorry. _

_ Ran _ .

With a sigh, she put it on the pillow and then started carting her stuff off to her car. Since she was going to be homeless, she left Ash there. It broke her heart, though. She didn’t want to leave the cat behind, but making the feline live in the car wasn’t ideal. 

Splitting with Shuhei wasn’t ideal either. Once Orihime got wind of it, she’d probably cut Rangiku out of her life and then her entire deal with Jugo would go up in flames. 

Once she was done she walked into the kitchen. Grimmjow sat at the island scowling.

“Have you seen--”

“Nah.”

“You don’t know where Shuhei is?”

“Nah. You want him, go find him.”

The hostility rolling off the blue-haired man was enough for the blonde to go scurrying back to the entrance. She decided to text him.

  * Can you come out front, please?



“Jesus. I’ll be right back, Ivan,” Shuhei said, stuffing his phone into his pocket and coming to the front of the house. When he saw Rangiku standing there in front of her car he stopped, put his hands in his pockets, and waited.

“I left you a note. I hope you read it,” she said her lips trembling. God this was hard. She was the one walking away from him again and it was making her a mess. “You’re--you’re--I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I have, Shuhei. I hope you understand this.”

“No. I fucking don’t, Ran. You pushed. You pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed and finally I cracked,” he responded, his voice breaking and rising in small increments. “You rushed into this. I told you last fucking year that this was weird; that you were making connections that weren’t there. But you pushed. And I was the fucking idiot who - by no little amount of argument of my own - decided, “to hell with it! Be happy! She wants you!” Jesus. But you know what? I would have understood. I would have said, “hey, Ran has seen some shit, it’s understandable,” if you had just fucking been honest with me! Don’t think I didn’t notice your bullshit. You’ve been pulling this crap from day one, and shame on me for letting it fly under the radar. You didn’t need to walk off for a private conversation with Byakuya at Kisuke’s party. You didn’t need to keep taking money from Gin. You make excuses for yourself and then expect everyone else to be okay with it and pick up the pieces, no matter how much it damage it causes them. And now you don’t want to hurt _me_ anymore? Fuck you,” he shouted through the tears in his eyes before he went back inside, slamming the door behind him.

“I know.”


	56. Chapter 56

Living out of a storage unit sucked balls.

Being homeless sucked balls.

She deserved it, though.

Five episodes of her show were probably gone. Six if she counted Shuhei. She had decided to burn those bridges, though. It was her choice. 

He had been right. She had wanted something with him so much that she made assumptions and saw things that weren’t really there. That beach chit chat they had wasn’t anything. That fingerfucking in the motel room wasn’t anything except a hookup. The oral sex and the sleepover was nothing. The fucking was nothing.

Everything they had in the beginning when they met was nothing. It was superficial, but she had thought since she let him in to see a small glimpse of herself, that was love. That he was going to be the man that she spent the rest of her life with.

Rangiku had been single for seven years. The concept of love was laughable.

She felt miserable a week after breaking up with Shuhei. She was tired all the damn time. She felt sick. She was rundown. Then the gynecologist called. She had missed her appointment, did she want to set up another one?

Sure, why the hell not?

Wednesday the twenty-eighth, Rangiku sat in the doctor’s office. She peed in their cup. She waited in the room. And waited. And waited. Finally after an hour, the doctor walked in. He talked to her.

Her hearing must have not been working.

Her eyesight wasn’t working either. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing on  _ that  _ screen. A scowl came over her face. The doctor explained about the birth control she had taken. Rangiku’s mouth dropped open.

She had fucked up. She had fucked up big time.

She hadn’t just fucked up her life, though.

“You’re about a month along. Some women have miscarriages, that’s normal.”

She blinked.

“What?”

“Your baby is about a month along. See, it’s just a little blip.”

She blinked again. “What?”

That’s the only question she asked. 

As she sat in her car, she stared at the papers they had given her. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. She picked up her phone and was going to call Shuhei, but she stopped. 

No. 

It wouldn’t do to take a photo of this and post it on Instagram either. That would be pretty shitty. Maybe the doctor was wrong. This was just like a tumor or something. 

The rather unfortunate thing was that Rangiku had no time to deal with this. She was set to start filming Glowing Up. The first episode featuring some pop singer named Giselle. The woman just got out of rehab and her label wanted her to look fresh. It was hard to look fresh when you looked like a zombie.

She put the papers to the side and drove around the city for a while. When driving and the traffic started annoying her, she decided to walk around.

She knew she was throwing herself a pity party, but she couldn’t help it. She felt sorry for herself. She was also mad at herself. Then a thought struck her.

She could go crawling back to Gin. Rangiku almost made that call. She almost dialed his number.

If she went back to Gin, Shuhei would never forgive her. He would write her off if he hadn’t already.

This adult thing sucked.

It sucked big time.

***

“Hey, Momo.”

“Shu? What the fuck are you calling me for now?”

“Can’t I just call to see what you’re up to?”

“Probably fucking not. It’s been a whole year.”

He laughed. “You’re right. Listen, I’m coming back into town in a couple of days and I’m wondering if you’d meet me to talk over coffee. I have a proposition.”

Well… Momo had her reasons for not wanting to see Shuhei Hisagi, but his dick was not one of them. “Fine. Call me when you get here.”

A week later, Shuhei was came out of the secure area of the airport in Columbus. There were people lined up to take pictures and get autographs. It was fucking weird.

He found his mom after about half an hour. 

“My Baby Shu!” Shelly called out, running toward her son with her hands in the air.

He smiled at her, the same shy smile he always gave her when she said that. “Hi, Mom.”

“I’m so glad that you’re home. Are you sure you have to go back in less than a week?”

“Yeah, Ma. I have to be there in person to close on the house.”

The older woman put her hand into her son’s elbow. “I don’t know why you’re buying that huge house when that bitch broke up with you.”

“She’s not a bitch, Ma. She’s… She is what she is.”

“If it looks like a duck and talks like a duck…”

“Ma, stop it. I want a place that’s big enough for you to visit. You  _ and _ Rich. Besides, if all goes according to plan this week, I won’t be going back alone.”

His mother raised a fine brow at him. “You better not be thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

***

“So. What are we doing here, Shu? Missed Occhi Verdi this much?”

“Yeah. You still got Ulq’s apron hanging in the spot?”

“Yeah. It’s a local tourist attraction. Former frontman of ObscurasIV’s apron. It used to bring people in. Now it’s just collecting dust. You should take it to him since he’s unemployed now. He can sling crappuchinos in Cali.”

“Hilarious, Mo.”

“You’re not here to talk about aprons or coffee. Why are you here, Shu?”

“How much would it take for you to part with Shiloh?”

***

Ulquiorra looked at Rangiku, who was standing at his front door. “Yeah?”

“Hi! Is Orihime here?”

“WIFE!?  _ The Thing _ is here!” He yelled and went back into the kitchen where he had been writing music. The guitar was sitting on the kitchen table along with his laptop.

“The what?” Orihime called breathlessly as she trotted out of the workout room, well, what used to be Rangiku’s room and was now a workout room. “Oh! Hi Ran,” she said when she saw the blonde at the door. “Why are you here?” she asked, not unkindly.

“Hi! I know this is kind of sudden, but um, I pitched Glow Up to the network and they would like me to finish your episode,” she said with a smile. Rangiku had decided to just ask the Cifers instead of avoiding them like the plague. It had been three weeks since she had broken up with Shuhei. The pregnancy tests she had bought still said they were positive. “I was wondering if you’d be interested in doing that or if--If--” She smiled then frowned. “Would you be interested in completing it?”

Orihime twisted her lips. When Shuhei called her to tell her and Ulquiorra the news, he wasn’t the blubbering drunken mess he had been in Iowa. He sounded tired. He sounded angry. He sounded like he had better things to do than sit on the phone and whine about it and quickly hung up.

Over the past couple of weeks, the man had avoided Orihime and her husband. It wasn’t until his seemingly impromptu trip to Ohio that he had reached out again.

“Hi, Shu, how are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. Is Ulq there?”

“Yeah… hold on. Why did you call my--”

“He doesn’t answer when I call.”

“Oh. Ulquiorra!”

There was bitching and grumbling, but Ulquiorra’s voice eventually came over the phone. “Yeah?”

“I’m going home to visit my mom. Anybody you want me to check up on or say hi to?”

“That place is a shit hole. Just throw your mom on a plane and bring her out here,” the green-eyed man said. “Uh, I’m not sure. I mean, my grandma, but that’s the only person in Ohio--Steve! Go paint asshole on his house. Don’t do that. I give bad advice.”

Shuhei laughed. “Okay. Well, the other thing is, can you give me the number to your vet? And tell them I’ll be calling soon?”

“What did you get?”

“Nothing yet. I need to get the keys to my house, but I’m going to go get my ass gouged out for a five year old dog with the most soulful eyes you’ve ever seen.”

“Dude, have you seen my Prinny’s eyes? She knows everything. Okay, give me a moment. Here’s the number... or I can text it?”

“If you don’t mind. By the way, thanks.”

“You’re welcome? Oh! While I got you on the phone; the song? Did you want to work on that again or should I scrap it?” Ulquiorra asked as he used his phone to text the vet’s number to Shuhei.

“Let’s set it aside and pick it back up when I get back. I meant thanks for not asking about it.”

“Not my circus, not my monkeys,” Ulquiorra said before hanging up.

Ulquoirra had told Orihime about the conversation and how it ended. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but she was reminded of the twisty straw wine pool night, when she decided she was done and was washing her hands of all Shu and Rangiku-related drama. She shouldn’t take sides. Of course she did, but she had to push it to the side and not let it get in the way of her day to day. 

So when Ran asked her about the glow up, she only had to pause a moment before saying, “Of course! When do you want to start?”

“Well, I am booked for the next couple of weeks. The first episode airs next week. I’m doing some chick named Giselle?”

“Crackwhore!” Ulquiorra called out.

“Real mature,” Orihime said, frowning. “Okay, well, have your people call my people!” she said, giggling. She still felt it was strange to use other people to schedule her life, especially while not on tour. “I mean, I just assume you don’t deal with the daily scheduling, and I don’t want to talk to your underlings and try to juggle time slots. How is everything going? You find a place yet?”

Rangiku plastered a smile on her face. “It’s going, um, I will have Rose call you. He’s the guy who does the hair for all my glow ups; like I said it’ll be a couple of weeks. Would you mind asking Ulq if he wants one?”

“Let me give you a card for Isane,” she said, turning around to where her husband sat and opening a drawer, pulling out a card. “Ulquiorra? You wanna be on Ran’s show?” she asked right there and then.

“I’d much rather be castrated,” he replied, looking at his wife with a small smile. “And I am mature. Giselle is a crackhead. Do I really look that bad?”

“Everyone could use some improvements, Cif,” Rangiku said from her position. She looked at her smartwatch as it beeped. She finally bought one to help her remember all the appointments. “Tell you what, you two talk it over and get back to me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Orihime said, delivering the business card. “Talk to you in a few weeks, then?”

***

On the eleventh, while laying on her mattress in the storage unit late at night, Rangiku started crying. She looked at that black bag sitting in the corner of the space. She already had programmed Byakuya’s contact information into her phone. 

She could go pawn that necklace. She could get herself a place. She could get them a place, she corrected herself.

She sent him a text.

  * Can we talk?



It would probably annoy him and he’d wrinkle his nose in disgust, scoffing and acting offended that she would dare contact him this way. It was worth a shot.

Her phone rang after exactly forty-five seconds.

“Hello?” she said with a roll of her eyes. He was predictable.

“I do not text. Yes.”

“Do you have a guest house?” she asked. “I know you don’t text. I did it to annoy you.”

“I do not. I live in a high-rise. Are you looking for lodging?”

“Perhaps,” Rangiku replied. Her tone was light. “Do you need a makeover?”

A scoff. “Do you think I  _ need _ a makeover?”

She thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t that much older than her. Maybe eight or ten years her senior. He looked good for the amount of stress and bullshit he had to deal with. “Okay, that’s all I wanted to know.”

“I understand that you have parted ways with Mr. Hisagi and have moved out of Mr. Kurosaki’s home. Do you have adequate lodging?”

“Define adequate? I mean I have a roof over my head. It’s climate controlled. I have my car...” Rangiku trailed off. Why was she telling him this?

“Do you have running water?”

“Byakuya, what are you getting at?”

“The truth, although it is trying to escape me,” he said, his silky voice deeper than usual due to the late hour.

“No. But I’m doing okay,” she finally replied after a few moments.

“Hmm.” He was quiet for a minute. “If you do not wish to impose on me, I can ask my sister if her AirBnB is available. She lives in a nice side-by-side not too far away from the office. Her last renter moved out a couple of weeks ago. It would be temporary until you decide your next move.”

“Darling, I would love to impose on you. I would drive you crazy, Byakuya. I don’t want to impose on anyone. I can’t afford anything at the moment, but I’m doing okay. I was just wondering,” Rangiku said, giving a nervous giggle. “It’s late, you probably have stuff to do tomorrow.”

“I do. Why did you call me, Rangiku?”

She sighed and sat up on the mattress. “I needed to hear a friendly voice and see if I could bum their guest house off them. Seeing as you don’t have one… I’m out of luck. Why did you think I called?”

“I really do not know, Rangiku. But since you consider my voice friendly, perhaps you will accept some friendly advice: Do not ask for a guest house and then refuse an offer of a side by side. It just sounds rude. And entitled. It does not reflect well on your person. However,” here he paused, taking an audible breath through his nose. “I am glad to hear your voice, Rangiku.”

“You know I’m a brat. I think you like it,” she said, smiling. She hated the way he said her name. It sounded wrong. At least he didn’t call her Ran. “I’m only refusing because I wouldn’t be able to pay for it, Byakuya, but thank you. I appreciate it. What about your--” Rangiku paused. Was she really going to do that? Was she going to ask if his bed was open? Now she was just disappointed in herself.

“I was not suggesting that you pay for it, Rangiku, but I’m sure that even someone with your modest means could afford it. You could pawn my gift and afford to live there for many months, but I digress. Rukia does not need the money. She would not be opposed to allowing a  _ friend _ to live there for a short amount of time.”

“Bya?” She giggled at the scoff. “Byakuya, do you want me to take you up on the offer so that I’ll be close to you? You know I can make your life hell and frustrate you.”

“You overestimate yourself, Rangiku. You see things that do not exist. I enjoy that innocent aspect of your personality. You do not frustrate me.”

She sat there and thought about it. She had been homeless for about a month now. Shuhei was doing great without her. To have a place to call her home and get the fuck up out of this facility would be a blessing. She hoped that the elder Kuchiki wouldn’t expect anything from her. “Okay. I don’t want to pawn your gift. I don’t want to sell anything of mine. I worked, and I say that word loosely, hard for everything I have.”

Although she couldn’t see it, a brow rose sharply. Byakuya - and most people in his industry - knew  _ exactly _ how Rangiku had acquired most of her possessions. “You would do well to rethink your position. Fashion is fleeting. Bear it in mind.”

“I know. But… I’m going to take you up on your offer. All of them, kinda, if they’re still available.”

“Elaborate.”

“The sister’s place. Maybe being seen out in public with me?” she replied. She sounded so stupid.

“I see. I will contact Rukia in the morning. We will discuss the rest at a later date at a more reasonable hour. Is there anything else, Rangiku?”

“No, sorry I bothered you. Good night.”

“It’s no bother. Good night, Rangiku. Sleep well. I will speak with you tomorrow.”

Yeah. She scoffed after hanging up. 

She took a selfie and looked at the person in the photo. Rangiku looked unwell. She had circles under her eyes. Her hair was kind of limp. Her skin looked too pink. She was tired. 

Oh well. That happened when life hit you.

***

The closing went off without a hitch, and the first night in his new home was pleasant. Shiloh jumped into bed with him and snuggled in as if she had always lived there. She didn’t seem to miss Momo at all.

Shuhei kind of missed his fifteen thousand dollars, though. 

As he looked at the pretty Australian Shepherd who lay in the spot that should have been Rangiku’s, Shu decided that it was money well-spent. He would have been a wreck without her.

He still didn’t understand. He had read her note and threw it out. It was all cliché bullshit. She had used him. Just like before her attack, she had continued to build some unrealistic romantic fantasy in her head. Now that she had had her fill of it - or sniffed a better prospect - she was moving on.

It was whatever. Maybe it was time to swear off women. He should probably buckle down and go on tour and just bang groupies. 

He always had Shiloh to fall back on.

When he woke up the next morning, he took his dog for a walk through their new neighborhood. It was nice. There were lots of families. In fact, there were lots of strollers. Shu tried to avoid them, not wanting Shiloh to get tangled or cause an accident. He was successful until just before he got to his driveway. A young woman with a stroller was on her phone and didn’t hear them coming while Shiloh had recognized the house and started pulling. 

When it was confirmed that the baby had not fallen out of the stroller and the young woman was alright, Shuhei introduced himself and Shiloh, asking the woman about her and her son.

“Oh, I’m not his mom. I’m his nanny. This is Randy, and I’m Cassie. Nice to meet you.”

Cassie and Randy seemed to keep a steady schedule. By the end of the week, Shu plucked up the courage to ask the nanny for her number. What was the worst that could happen? Another woman would shit all over him? Whatever. He’d be on tour before that happened anyway.

***

Jugo called her. She was sitting in the living room of the place Byakuya offered her, eyeing all of her stuff when he did.

“Fucking success. You nailed it. Board loved it. They want more. Who do you have lined up?”

Rangiku told him. If she could butter up the Soul Society people, she could get a lot of their newer acts. She also told him that there could be some people from Espada Records and other celebrities.

“Nice, nice. Keep up the great work Rangiku. Also get some more sleep because your baggage is supposed to be at the airport, not on your face. Take care.”

She rolled her eyes. 

Sunday rolled around. It had been a year since she met Shuhei Hisagi. A pain went through her chest. She couldn’t focus on that. Instead she took a bath. She shaved. She dolled herself up and she put on the earrings he had bought for her. She put her hair up so that they would be visible when she took the pictures. 

There were times she missed Shuhei terribly. It wasn’t so much about the sex as it was the closeness. She didn’t have the energy for sex. She didn’t care for it at the moment. From what she heard from other moms over the years, that would change.

It was probably a stupid caption and he probably wouldn’t see it.

**itsrangiku posted:**

_ I always liked rose gold. #itsbeenayear #stillcheering #tiffany _

She rolled her eyes at herself. Lame, Rangiku. Lame.

The only person who knew about her pregnancy was Doctor Zommari. The man asked about Shuhei. Rangiku told him all about Shu, even stuff that would be considered TMI. He asked, she answered. She even told him about Byakuya and his “gifts”.

She knew she would have to talk to him soon. She didn’t really want to. She wanted to go about her day and do her thing, helping celebrities out with their looks. Everyone wanted to see how these trainwrecks grew into swans. 

As the comments poured in she closed the app. She still hadn’t put any of her things away. There were totes and boxes and portable closets all over the first floor. She made a path to the rooms she went into and to the stairs. 

This was just temporary. To be a brat, she decided to text Byakuya.

  * Busy?



He was busy. Very busy, in fact. He wasn’t able to reply with a phone call until the evening.

“Hello?” Rangiku said as she was snuggled up in the posh and comfortable bed. These Kuchikis knew how to live, she knew that much.

“I was busy. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She nodded. He was always busy. “Was wondering if you wanted to have a sleepover. And I mean a sleepover, not any funny business. I need help,” Rangiku said.

Byakuya was cautious. “Elaborate.”

“Do you ever say please?”

“No.”

“Of course you don’t,” she said as she stretched. “I want someone to sleep with me, but not sex. Just sleep.”

“Why? And what makes you think I would do such a thing?”

“I was just asking. You could say no and that would be the end of it. Nevermind, Byakuya. Sorry to bother you.”

“It’s no bother. I asked because I am curious.”

“I’m lonely. I don’t think your sister would appreciate me breaking into her house and cuddling up to her,” Rangiku replied.

“Perhaps not. But I must decline your proposal, Rangiku. Despite our previous encounters, I do not yet feel that we have reached the appropriate level of intimacy for such an arrangement. Besides…” he let it hang.

She wasn’t interested in his excuses. If he didn’t want to, he didn’t want to. There was nothing she could do about it. “Okay,” Rangiku said. 

“Understand that there is a proper order of events that, should our relationship follow to my desired conclusion, must be adhered to.”

“What is your desired conclusion?”

“I told you in my office. I’d like to fall in love with you. I’d like to give us both that chance.”

She almost laughed at him. Rangiku almost laughed at Byakuya Kuchiki’s words.  _ Fall in love _ . Right. Sure. It was okay to fuck her but just spending time with her and helping her fall asleep because she was lonely was too forbidden.  _ This asshole _ . If it were Shuhei... Her throat tightened. If it were Shuhei, he’d know about her oopsie. He’d probably wrap his arms around her, spin her around and kiss her. She had to be nice to Byakuya though. He helped her out. “Okay, I understand. I’ll text you tomorrow.” 

Byakuya frowned. “Don’t. I don’t text.”

***

Rangiku looked at Rukia. “Can I give you a makeover?” The blonde smiled at the short woman.

“Me? Why?” Rukia was a personal assistant. What did she need a makeover for?

“Because you’re pretty; you have great features and you’re a Kuchiki. You have some status quo to maintain, don’t you?” Rangiku asked.

“Barely. I’m adopted. I have to keep my image clean and that’s it.”

“Does that go for anyone in the Kuchiki family?”

“No. I’m lucky.”

Rangiku raised an eyebrow and looked at the woman. “So you wouldn’t be opposed to maybe a haircut? A slight wardrobe change? Some nice makeup?”

“I can promise you I won’t maintain it, but you can play with my look, as long as you can talk my employers into giving me time off.”

“I live next door to you, I can find time to do it,” Rangiku said, smiling at her. “Who would I talk to? And my makeovers are easy. We find a style that fits you, not some dramatic bullshit that you won’t maintain.”

After Rangiku got Yoruichi’s blessing, she made an appointment, which was something she never did.

“Nanao, want a makeover?”

“What?”

“A makeover?” She could practically hear her old friend’s brain thinking about it.

“Nothing too dramatic, but I could use some sprucing up.”

Byakuya would probably be surprised when she showed up.

***

“Oh my god, she’s absolutely  _ gorgeous! _ " Orihime squealed. It had been weeks since Shuhei had moved into his new place and he still hadn’t had anyone over to show it off to. That would not stand in Orihime’s world, so she had organized a tiny little housewarming party for him. It was just her and Ulquiorra, Ichigo, Grimmjow, and Hailey. Orihime didn’t get far with the home tour; getting lost in Shiloh’s fur somewhere between the front door and the living room.

“This place is great, Dude,” Ichigo said, walking from the foyer to the main living area. “Reminds me of my parents’ house but more updated.”

“Eh,” Grimmjow commented. “I guess if you like this type of shit.”

Ulquiorra frowned at his former band mate and then looked at Shuhei. “It’s nice,” was all he said.

“Thanks,” Shu said with a quiet smile. “It’s taken some time to put it together. I was just randomly buying stuff, but my, uh, friend is helping me make it more homey. She should be here when she’s done with work. Be nice,” Shuhei warned.

“Oh? That’s nice,” Hailey said, noncommittally. “She likes stacks of papers and hanging plants?”

Shuhei blushed. “No, that’s me. I like organized clutter. Cassie’s been working on me to veer more towards clean… so far she’s been failing,” he said with a laugh.

The dog started barking and ran to the door. Orihime was closest so she asked if she should answer it, and after receiving consent, she opened the door. On the other side was a pretty young woman - if a bit plain and basic - maybe a few years older than she was. She was rather tall and athletic looking, with very long, straightened brown hair and dark eyes. She was not flashy at all, not at least compared to Rangiku. 

“Can I help you?” Orihime asked, unaware that Shuhei was expecting her.

“VEGA HIGHWELL?! Oh my god! I love you!” the woman shrieked.

The dog started jumping at her, nervous and nosing this new woman.

“Oh, uh, thank you,” Orihime said shyly. She was used to being approached in public, but at a friend’s house, it was new.

“You’re welcome. And you look great. You’re not fat. Get down, Shiloh!” she said, pushing the dog away rather abruptly.

Orihime’s frown was subtle. “Shu? You expecting someone?”

The man in question came around the corner and smiled. “Hi Cassie! Thanks for coming.” He let her approach and gave her a short hug. “Come on and meet everyone.”

Orihime didn’t move. She watched. She watched and she didn’t exactly love what she saw.

Shuhei brought Cassie into the room with everyone else. “Hey guys, this is Cassie. Cassie, everyone.”

“Congrats Hisagi,” Ulquiorra said with a bored expression. “I see you wanted to relive your Ohio days. Where’s the bathroom?”

“Oh, if you go right down that hall, it’s the first door on the right,” Cassie said, blushing and starstruck. She knew who he was.

Ulquiorra looked at the woman and then at Shuhei. He shook his head before he disappeared. 

Grimmjow turned to look at Ichigo. He leaned over and whispered, “I’m so sending a photo to her.”

Ichigo sighed. “I can’t stop you.” He then smiled at the woman. “I’m Ivanhoe,” he said, holding a hand out to the newcomer. “This is my baby mama Hails and this grumpus is my boyfriend, uh,  _ Gerard _ ,” he said with a laugh.

“Oh, so Grimmjow is just a stage name?” Cassie asked, much too interested.

“Nah,  _ Idiot  _ likes to rib me now and again. Name’s Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez,” the man with bright blue hair said. He didn’t offer his hand or anything. He stood with his arms folded over his chest. “Right, where’s the beer? I already need a drink.”

“Oh! I can get you one!” the brunette offered, bouncing her lean, distinctly non curvy body over to the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of cheap domestic beer. “Here you go!”

Grimmjow took the bottle and looked at the woman. “Thanks,” he said with a smile.

“Hisagi,” Ulquiorra said, coming back into the room. “Nice place. I’m leaving.”

“What? You just got here. Is Heemz staying?”

“I dunno. Orihime?” the green-eyed man asked, turning to his wife.

“I want to see the house first,” Orihime said, her face a bit crumpled.

The man walked over to his wife and gave her a hug and a kiss before saying something in her ear. He then pulled back and looked at her, tucking a piece of hair behind the same ear.

Orihime sighed. “Okay. I’ll see you soon,” she said with a tight smile and a knowing look in her eyes.

“Oooh, trouble in paradise?” Cassie whispered to Shu. It was not that quiet.

Heads turned and looked at her. Ulquiorra turned back to Orihime and whispered in her ear again. “You know I’m right,” he said so that everyone could hear it.

Orihime was a breath away from snapping at Shuhei’s new “friend”, so instead she looked into her husband’s eyes and said, “I think you’re right. I love you,” then kissed him with tongue, just to show this bitch. “I’ll be back home soon, Babe.”

Shuhei looked at Cassie and smiled, telling her softly, “Nah, they’re couple goals. You’ll see.”


	57. Chapter 57

Rangiku’s next three episodes of _Glowing Up Gifted,_ which was the official title of the show, were also a success. She looked down at her pad of paper. She crossed off Giselle’s name, Askin De La Varr’s name, and Charlotte the drag queen’s name. She had already filmed Nanao’s episode, but that wouldn’t air for a while. She had finished Rukia’s makeover. The woman had complained about everything.

Now she was waiting at Soul Society Music group for her appointment with Byakuya.

“Mr. Kuchiki will see you now,” his drab secretary said.

Rangiku stood, making sure to smooth out her dress, not that she needed to. The slightly loose t-shirt dress didn’t wrinkle. As soon as the door closed behind her, she smiled. “Look at me, making an appointment for once in my life,” she said.

“I see this. What brings you here, Miss Matsumoto?” he said, folding his hands over his desk.

She put her purse down on one of the chairs as she walked to where the man sat. “Well, apparently I need an appointment to see you,” she said, leaning against the desk. Her hand reached up to play with the necklace she was wearing.

Byakuya was not impressed. “It’s a matter of practicality.”

“I’m here on business, rather than pleasure, as much as I would take pleasure over business,” she said, smiling at him. She reached out and ran a fingernail down the outer shell of his ear. “Rukia’s episode of my show will be airing tonight. I’m still interested in giving you a makeover, not that you need it. You’re a very handsome man.” She was asking Byakuya if she could give him a makeover because she really didn’t want to see Shuhei. Jugo was still gunning for Shuhei to be the last episode of the show. 

If her ex saw her, it would be game over. She would be almost five months pregnant. Somehow she’d skipped the morning sickness. Rangiku’s libido had taken a dive. She had vivid dreams that involved suburban living and Gin’s smile. She was exhausted. 

Byakuya recoiled slightly at her touch and a small sneer pulled at his lips. He might be hard to read, but he was very good at reading others. “I am aware of this, Matsumoto. State your business.”

The way he looked at her made Rangiku feel small. She stood up straight and sighed, turning her back towards him. Apparently Mr. Kuchiki wasn’t in the mood. He was never in the mood to deal with her. “Nevermind,” she said retrieving her purse. 

“Have you seen a doctor, Matsumoto?”

“For what?” she asked, stopping right after she grabbed the bag.

A quiet sigh. “You mustn’t put it off. My Hisana did. It is my deepest regret. Good day, Miss Matsumoto.”

“Yeah.” Her shoulders dropped. It wouldn’t do any good to ask him what he meant but she stupidly did anyway. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you look unwell. If you do not take care of your health, the results could be dire. I would not like to see you unwell.”

She turned and faced him, her face brightening up marginally. “I’m just working a lot and not sleeping well, but thank you, Byakuya. I’ll make an appointment for a doctor soon.” Rangiku smiled at him. She already had an appointment at the end of this month to see the baby doctor.

“Get your rest, Rangiku. Take care of yourself.”

Well. That attempt at seduction had backfired. Rangiku walked out of the office, tears blurring her vision as she kept her head down. She tried not to notice anyone as she moved out of the building. She had things to do. She should have known that Byakuya would see through her flattery. How could she ever attempt to try and fall in love with someone like that? She would offend him all the time. She would insult him all the time. It wouldn’t even be something she did intentionally.

Oh well.

She had other things to worry about. Like how her income would enable her to find a place that wasn’t under Kuchiki rule. Like how she tried to ignore photos of Shuhei and some woman. Like how Mila was calling Rangiku a washed-up has-been.

She bumped into someone and mumbled a soft, “Pardon me.” 

“Be careful, Ran,” came the quiet reply. Shuhei stopped to make sure she was steady on her feet before continuing on. He had seen her come out of Byakuya’s office. He had seen the necklace. He had heard that she was living with Rukia Kuchiki. People at Soul Society talked. He was pretty sure he knew what was going on.

Fuck. Seeing him sent pain through her chest again. It wasn’t until she reached her car that panic set in. Rangiku sat there, rocking back and forth, her teeth chattering as she tried to breathe. He talked to her. He called her Ran. He had touched her arm for just a moment before going on his way.

His birthday was Monday. She should get him something. That’s what she spent the rest of the day doing, looking for a present for Shuhei.

***

“Hey Heemz.”

“Shuhei!” Orihime was surprised; he hadn’t been in contact with her much since the housewarming. She put the call on speaker as she walked around the kitchen, putting food from lunch away. “It’s nice to hear your voice.”

“Thanks. Hey, listen, I’m calling for two reasons. One, I’ve been convinced to have a barbecue at the house for my birthday. Just you, Ulq, and the dogs. Oh, and Ivan and Co. Sunday at one. Also,” and here his voice became lower and there was a pause, and she could hear a door open and close and the sound of birds. “Have you seen Ran lately?”

“No, I haven’t. She was supposed to have someone call Isane to set up filming for her show, but I haven’t heard anything. Is there something wrong?”

“I guess not. I mean, she’s been seeing Byakuya Kuchiki. She came out of his office today looking sick and disoriented. She bumped into me and barely even noticed. I’m a little worried that she’s ill or on drugs or something.”

Orihime frowned. “I’ll talk to Ulquiorra about this weekend. I’ll ask around about Rangiku. I hope it’s not something bad.”

“Thanks, Orihime. Talk to you later.” 

The line cut and Orihime looked across the kitchen island. Ulquiorra had been sitting there the entire time. “Well?”

“What?” he asked, looking at her. “Well, what?”

“Have you heard anything and will you go to this barbecue?”

“No, I’ve not spoken to Ran since she was here to ask you about her show. I will go as long as Momo two point oh won’t be there. Since it’s most likely that she will, the answer is no,” Ulquiorra said. For some reason this Cassie made his hackles rise, and he knew he wouldn’t be polite to her Even under the threat of death, he wouldn’t be fucking nice. “Sorry.”

Orihime sighed. “Will you at least help me pick out a gift and sign the card?”

“Do you want me to call Rangiku?”

“No. It’s really not my business, in the end. I doubt we’ll hear from her again, honestly.”

***

“Isane! How are you? How does Orihime’s schedule look? I’d really like to start her glow up again. It should only take a couple of days to do,” Rangiku said into the phone the next day. She was standing in a shipping place with her small box of gifts for Shuhei. It was dumb, but Rangiku wasn’t known for her brains. She had been indulgent. 

He’d probably never use them anyway. It was the thought that counted, though.

“Oh, well,” Isane answered with subdued energy but a pleasant tone. “Let me pull out her book. When are you looking at doing this? She’s got a pretty full schedule for the next several weeks.’

“Next week? Maybe the week after? How are you doing? Would you be interested in a makeover?”

Isane laughed. Her laugh was soothing, somehow. “Well, I would love one, but I very much doubt anyone would be interested in watching a show about me, Miss Matsumoto. Anyway…” she paused as she looked through the schedule carefully.

“Well good. I’d be happy to give you one. I thought no one would watch the episode I did on Rukia, but they did. I’m free the first week of September if you’d like one. Also if you can’t fit Orihime in next week, I have…” Rangiku looked at her phone screen and rubbed her temple. “Uh, the first week of October?”

“Actually, both of those times should work. Orihime and her husband are going away on their second honeymoon at the end of this month, so I’ll be free. She should be back around the last week in September. I’ll mark out the first couple of days for you? The week?”

It usually only took three days for her to get the makeover finished, but that’s if she studied the person well. “Block out the week for you, about four hours every day and three days for Orihime? Sound good?”

“It’s done. I’m excited for this, Miss Matsumoto!” she said sweetly.

“Call me Rangiku, please. I look forward to working with you,” Rangiku said just as sweetly in return. When she hung up, she called Jon Cifer.

“Miss--”

“Well did you find me a place?”

“I did. I did. How do you feel about garden style home?”

“A what?” She asked.

“It’s a nice family home. Three bedrooms, but one room can be turned into another bedroom. There’s also an outdoor kitchen and a guest house,” Jon said in a chipper tone. “It’s located in Tarzana.”

A sick feeling rolled through her stomach. She almost would pick Agoura Hills over that suburb. “Um, how much? And could you find something for me that’s closer to the city?”

“If we go below the freeway, you’re talking millions.”

She shook her head. She would much rather stay under the Kuchiki’s watchful eyes. “Thanks Jon. I’ll let you know,” Rangiku said, disappointment lacing her voice. Her phone buzzed. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back later this week.”

Rangiku answered the other call. “Hello?”

“I see you look like shit, my persimmon. What’s going on?”

“None of your business, Gin. Don’t call me, I will drag your name through the fucking mud.” Rangiku’s ire was starting to build.

“And jeopardize your relationship with your newest sugar daddy? My, my, my, what would Byakuya Kuchiki say about these images I have? Perhaps I should just send the video to him and your ex.”

“How’s things going with Mayuri?”

“Rangiku, do you not understand what I’m saying?”

She sighed as if bored. “I understand Gin. I don’t care. Release the footage. What’s the worst Byakuya can do? Ignore me? I’m used to that,” she stated. “You said it best, Gin. Can’t turn a ho into a housewife. Do not call again.”

With that, Rangiku hung up and went back to making notes about the next person she would be making over. As Nödt was an Espada Records signed screamo singer who had seen better days.

This was her test run to see if she could actually makeover Ulquiorra. Dark mysterious singers with bad attitudes weren’t that interesting for her audience, and somehow she was supposed to turn this goth guy into something that would create a buzz and make him relevant. She had no clue how to do that.

***

“Wake up, it’s your birthday party,” Cassie said, kissing Shuhei on the chin.

“Morning,” Shuhei grumbled, rolling over away from her and scratching Shiloh behind the ears.

“Come on, aren’t you excited?”

“No, not really.”

Cassie pouted. “Fine. I’m going to go get cleaned up and make coffee. I expect you out of bed by the time it’s ready.”

Shuhei didn’t watch her leave. He didn’t really care if she kept walking out the door and never came back. It was nice to have companionship, but they really didn’t have much chemistry nor much in common.

Cassie was as basic as they came. She was a thinly-veiled gossip hound. He knew that this birthday party was just an excuse for her to rub shoulders with Vega Highwell and entourage. Whatever. He was planning his career. She would fall by the wayside when he started recording next month and just be a memory after he left for his tour in spring. He should probably end it sooner than later, but frankly, he didn’t care if she got butthurt. She didn’t know him. She just knew who he was.

It wasn’t so bad when it was just him and her, though. They’d watch TV. They’d go for walks. They didn’t go on dates. They didn’t do romantic stuff. They just kept each other company when she wasn’t working. Whatever.

He sighed and decided to get into the shower.

When he came out to the kitchen, dressed in swim trunks and a sleeveless shirt, he stopped before he got to his cup of coffee.

“Whoa. That’s a lot of buns. How many burgers do you think my friends will eat?”

She laughed awkwardly.“Well, it’s better to have too much than too little. I’ve got to make another run to the store and stop at home to change, and I’ll be back by noon.” She kissed his cheek and took off toward the door. “Make sure you start preheating the grill and maybe start a round of burgers so that they’re ready when people show up?”

“Okay…” Shuhei muttered, grabbing his coffee and sitting down. She was acting weird. He didn’t watch her leave.

Five minutes later there was a screeching of tires and one of those big brown trucks pulled up in front of the house. The guy who got out had a surfer look with long dreads, secured at the top of his head in a messy knot. He could be seen going into the truck and back out, tossing a box in the air. He knocked on the door.

Shuhei opened it, coffee cup in hand.

“Shoe-hi His-gee?” the man asked.

“Not even close,” Shuhei answered, holding his free hand out for the small parcel.

“Sorry man. Not good with names. You need to sign,” the delivery driver said, holding out an electronic device and scanning the barcode. He held the thing while Shuhei signed the screen with his finger. After handing the package over, the guy ran across the lawn and jumped back into the truck before zooming down the street.

Shuhei rolled his eyes and looked down at Shiloh, who had been obediently sitting at his heels. “I wonder what this could be. Did Grandma send something?” he asked, smiling at the dog.

Shiloh wagged her fluffy tail, turned around to follow Shuhei, and they went back to the kitchen. Shuhei set the package on the counter next to his coffee cup and then looked at the label.

No return address. Huh.

He opened it up and saw a familiar greenish-blue. Tiffany? He remembered that box from when he gave the same jeweler’s goods to Rangiku. There were two items in the box. He opened them both and sat there looking at them.

A pair of silver barbell cufflinks. A plain silver oval keychain. No note. No personalization.

Irritation nagged at him. He could only think of one person who would do this. She had a boyfriend, or a new sugar daddy, or whatever her situation was with Byakuya Kuchiki. What the hell was she doing sending him gifts?

He set the box aside and went outside to look at the yard. It seemed ready for a party. He got a few more towels out from the house and set them up outside in case anyone wanted to swim or sunbathe.

He went back inside and saw the box again. He scoffed. What was she thinking?

He went to the bathroom and put drinks into coolers and grumbled to himself that Cassie was supposedly throwing this party for him but he was stuck doing all the work.

He came back in and saw the package. What was Rangiku up to these days? Why on earth would she think he needed cufflinks? He basically lived in shorts.

This was going to bother him all day. He had people coming over in about an hour and a half. He had to put this away and be done with it. He took the box into his bedroom and set it on his dresser. He picked up his phone and opened his rarely used Instagram account. He looked her up.

The last post had been for her new show. There was one before that too. But the one before that was her with her hair up wearing the earrings he had given her. #itsbeenayear #stillcheeringforyou.

Maybe she was just being a friend?

A friend who sent annoyingly anonymous gifts. It was stupid.

Still, he could only guess the sentiment came from a nice place. His mother’s voice came to mind.

“She might be a bitch but you still have manners.”

He sighed and sent a text to her.

  * Thanks, I got your gift. Hope you’ve been well. You’ve been looking a bit tired; hope your new show combined with your new relationship isn’t wearing you out. Remember to take care of yourself.



  
Rangiku looked at the phone as she was bent over the toilet, heaving. She had read it feeling sick. She got sick. It was the first time she actually threw up. Jesus. She had been a moron. A fucking moron.

  * Happy birthday. No relationship so that can’t wear me out. Just the show. Take care!



He saw her message and slipped his phone into his pocket. He didn’t have time for this; someone was ringing the doorbell. He opened it and heard a whine and a yip and a BOOF.

“You brought them!” Shuhei said with a wide smile, looking at the dogs that threatened to pull Orihime into the house without her feet. “Wow! Let me go get Shiloh.”

Orihime smiled at him. “I’m sorry; I didn’t want to come when everyone was here and stress them out with a new place and a new dog and a group of people. I thought they’d be better without the distractions. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. I needed the distraction. Come in! Is Ulq still in the car?”

“No, he’s not coming.”

Shuhei looked down at the redhead and his expression darkened. “What happened now?What did he do?”

Orihime’s brows shot up. “Oh, nothing, nothing. He just…” she sighed. She may as well tell him the truth. “It’s just your new girlfriend gives him the creeps and pisses him off. He says she reminds him of Momo.”

Shuhei’s lip curled. “Ew,” he said. “Well, no offense taken. I can see why they would not exactly get along… Not that she would really notice, I guess. She sees a famous person and it’s like her brain stops functioning.”

“What about you? You’re a famous person.”

“Not like you guys,” he said. “Anyway, come in!”

“Actually, can you take the kids? I still have to run back out to my car and get your gift. It was too much with all of them.”

Shuhei nodded and took the three leashes and brought the dogs into the backyard, unclicking the latch and letting them run freely. He figured he’d let them get used to the space before he brought Shiloh out.

When he came back inside, he heard a bitchy voice.

“What are you doing here alone? Why are you so early? Where is ObscurasIV?”

“What are you talking about, Cassie? My husband has other obligations today. Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! This is my party! I didn’t say anyone could show up early!”

“Cassie! What the hell?”Shuhei shouted, storming into the foyer and taking the wrapped present out of Orihime’s hands. “She brought the dogs, like I asked. She brought them early so they could get used to the place before people got here. Jesus, calm down.”

“I--” Cassie huffed. “Fine. But if they poop all over before my friends get here I’m gonna be pissed.

“Wait a minute, Cassie, _your_ friends?”

“Yes! I mean, you’re my boyfriend. I’m throwing a party for my boyfriend’s birthday and invited my friends. Do you have a problem with that?”

Orihime’s eyes almost bulged out of her head. She started furiously texting Ulquiorra.

  * OMG. RED ALERT. SHITSHOW IN PROGRESS. DEAR GOD SO MUCH… I CAN’T EVEN.



  
  
Cassie saw what she was doing. “Oh my god, what are you doing? You just got here and already you’re hiding on your phone? How rude. Whatever. I have to get this Sangria on ice and make sure my playlist is ready. Shu, start the burgers whenever you have a chance to stop playing with the frickin’ dogs.”

Orihime’s mouth dropped open, and as Cassie turned away, she took a step toward her. Shuhei’s hand darted out and he shook his head at her. After the brunette left the area he said, “Don’t even bother. After today she is gone.”

Orihime’s nostrils flared and she nodded. This bitch had better watch herself today.

Orihime’s phone buzzed. There was a text from Ulquiorra.

\- Ha! Told you. Love you. Come back and we’ll fuck in the pool <3

  
Orihime smirked.

  * Sooner than later. Gotta let the kids meet their cousin and have Shu open his present and then I’m all yours <3



She didn’t say anything else to Cassie that day. She noticed the swarm of young women look at her and sneer, rolling their eyes when they came in. She saw them simper and pander to Shuhei, who, instead of enjoying his own party, stood with an apron on flipping burgers like some kind of joke. An “oh, come look at the popstar do menial labor” kind of joke.

She didn’t like it. She went to talk to Shu and keep him company as he sweated over the burgers. She noticed the glares. She just didn’t care. Orihime Cifer didn’t leave friends in a lurch. They talked about the dogs and watched them interact. It was cute watching them play.

What wasn’t cute was when she got a phone call from Isane.

“Are you aware what is happening on Instagram?”

“No, what is happening on Instagram?” Orihime asked, a bit more snappish than she would normally be.

“Um, you better see for yourself,” Isane said. “Hashtag _troubleinparadise_ ”.

Shit.

Ulquiorra had watched the instagram feed. He was a gossip monger just like any other young celebrity. He wanted to know who was who and who was doing what. He didn’t like the posts that Orihime was being tagged in. He didn’t like how this Cassie bitch was smearing his wife’s name. He saw the Mila Rose instagram story about how Mrs. Cifer was playing around while he was nowhere in sight.

He called Rangiku. Rangiku told him it wasn’t any of her business. Shuhei was free to do whatever he wanted. He asked her if she had a man. She said she didn’t.

When he walked into Shuhei’s house with an angry expression, he wasn’t looking for the man or his wife. He was looking for the bitch that posted those images and he found her standing by the pool.

Somebody had tipped Cassie off that Ulquiorra had arrived. She was right there when he came out of the patio doors and started to approach with a sympathetic expression. “Oh, no, I’m so sorry, Obscuras. I’ve always loved you, ever since YouTube, and I never meant to facilitate this… this… I’m so sorry,” she said, batting her lashes at him.

Ulquiorra grabbed the bitch’s phone and launched it. He didn’t give a fuck. He had worked too hard on his relationship with Orihime to have this fuck up. Then he did the unthinkable. He pushed Cassie back and she fell into the deep end of the pool. It was only then he turned around and looked at Shuhei. “These bitches aren’t Rangiku. She might have issues, but none of these fucking slags could compare to the Queen of Gossip. These bitches are just another fucking version of people from Ohio that want to use you! She’s a fucking celebrity chaser. She’s offered to suck Grimmjow’s cock while you’re the one fucking her. Hmmm.”

He turned around and looked at the brown-haired bitch who was helped out of the pool. “You’re just a rebound. You’re a fucking Nemu. Fuck off, whore.”

With that, Ulquiorra walked over to Orihime and kissed her before he went to find his dogs.

“Well, I guess that makes it easier for me to get rid of her,” Shuhei muttered, shutting off the grill. “Party’s over, folks. Get your shit and go home!” He watched as guests stood shock still, looking at him like he couldn’t possibly be serious.

“You heard him, get out! Do we need to call the cops and have you forcibly removed?”Orihime’s voice sounded shrill after the men’s outbursts.

When the party dispersed and it was just Shuhei and his friends, Ulquiorra came up to the man. “Sorry, Shu. I was out of line,” he told the guy.

“No, you were right about Cassie. I knew she was just a warm body. I didn’t particularly like her; I just didn’t like being alone. Thanks for the blender, by the way.”

“We got you a blender? Woman? We got him a blender?” Ulquiorra asked, looking around for Orihime. He looked at Shuhei after a laugh. “Look, I’ve been in your shoes. I know about the whole being lonely bullshit. It fucks with you. I didn’t like Nemu. I didn’t want to be alone. Look what happened.”

“Yeah… there are definitely going to be consequences for this. I’m going to have to go on talk shows and give interviews and spin this into some kind of comical misunderstanding. You too, probably. Thanks for the PR nightmare, Cass. Just what I wanted for my birthday.”

Ulquiorra chuckled. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I don’t think Matsumoto would ever do something like this to you. She wouldn’t embarrass you. The It’sRan episodes you were in were… cute… for lack of a better descriptive word. She never treated you like you were beneath her.”

“Not in front of a camera, anyway.”

***

Rangiku sighed. The baby was still inside of her. The doctor confirmed that much. She was now twelve weeks pregnant. Fuck. She was also still living in Rukia Kuchiki’s property. She was still being ignored by Byakuya. 

Shuhei was still doing good. A bit drama filled but he was doing good.

The only thing new in her life was her appearance.

She had a tiny hump whenever she looked in the mirror. When she sucked in her stomach, it just made it more pronounced. She had to stop wearing her tight dresses and opt for something with a little more movement. She wore a lot of maxi and t-shirt dresses with heels. She wore her pj or sweat pants around the apartment.

The OB told her that being fatigued during the first trimester was normal and that she should be getting over that hump soon. It didn’t look like she would. He also told her that her libido would soon return and not to worry.

Rangiku almost laughed at him.

Why would she worry about that? She had no one in her life. Sure, she was friendly with her team and production crew, but Rangiku had no one on an intimate level. She was too much of a whore for Kuchiki and too fucked up for the guy she kept rooting for.

When she left the office and turned on her phone, she saw she had a call from Jon Cifer. “Hey Jon,” the blonde woman said.

“Hey, Ran! Got an offer for you. Owners are selling for seven hundred. They’re going to Europe and are looking to rent the house out for six months before putting it on the market. Interested?”

She agreed to look through the place and instantly fell in love with the Sherman Oaks home. If she still wanted to buy it in six months, the owners would probably accept her offer. Paperwork was filled out and a couple of days later, after a hefty chunk of money left her account, Rangiku had the keys. She would be living eight miles from Shuhei.

Guess it was time to call Byakuya and tell him that she was leaving. She hadn’t talked to him since their meeting where she had tried to seduce him and failed. It was probably for the best. He was probably banging someone else anyway.

Fall in love? Nah. You had to actually make an effort and pay attention and not look down on someone to do that, Mr. Kuchiki.

Why was she worried about him? Why was she worried about any man? She hadn’t ever worried about them before.

She needed to focus on her career. She needed to deal with things. And she was dealing with things. She had begun to open up to the therapist about the ordeal with Aizen. Zommari told her things like this took time to get through and find closure.

Her career was fine. As Nödt had been a diva. Ran’s show had caught every moment and afterward she had moved on to Bazz Black. Yes, the same one she had been “ _dating_ ”, for lack of a better term, back in March. She practically begged him to let her give him a glow up.

Not that he needed it. He had the looks, and it was mostly an opportunity to watch him strut his stuff around in a pair of sweatpants and his infamous mohawk not done up. After Bazz, it would be Isane’s turn, and she had some ideas on how to turn that wallflower into a badass amazon. But for right now… she had to talk to the music executive.

So she called him instead of texting.

“Hello, Rangiku. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m calling to thank you for asking your sister to put me up. I’m calling to thank you for tolerating me. I found a place,” she said in a polite but guarded tone. It wouldn’t do to get her hopes up about anything or let anyone in.

He exhaled in a way that his breath went into the receiver. “Am I safe to presume that this new dwelling is acceptable? We have climate control and running water? Secure walls and no squatters or anything like that?” There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

“I don’t know, you can always come visit me in Sherman Oaks? It’s a perfectly good storage unit with a pool,” she said with a laugh.

“Sherman Oaks, is it?” he replied, then paused. Another breath blew over the receiver. “Rangiku, I’m proud of you.”

She blushed and smiled. “So, you’ll come inspect it and see if it’s up to standard for me?”

A soft chuckle. “If you like. I would be pleased to see how you get on. I know, Rangiku.”

“You know? You know what?”

“I know that you’re pregnant.”

“What? How did you--Oh.” Rangiku’s mood turned serious. Then she realized what he was talking about. “Oh. That’s why.”

“Hmm? That’s why what? Why I am concerned with your wellbeing? I assure you that that has always been the case. I was glad that Rukia had enough sense not to tell anyone else, and that she watched out for you, but you deserve to have this chance to prove yourself, regardless.”

“That’s why you’ve been avoiding me and dismissing me,” she said.

Another chuckle. “No, Rangiku. I’ve been doing that because you’ve been trying to play me. Had you been genuine in our interactions, I would have been more receptive. I had been holding out hope that you would tire of your games and meet me at my level, but it appears that life has other plans for us.” He didn’t sound angry or disappointed, just accepting of the situation.

She gave a bitter laugh. Of course. Kuchiki always had the upper hand and saw through her. “I guess it’s back to being a booty call,” Rangiku said with another laugh. “I’m joking.”

He gave her an amused hum. “You were never a booty call, Rangiku. I do not do booty calls. You were a wild, fearless woman who barged into my office and demanded my undivided attention. There is a reason that, despite my gifts and your relationship status, I have not tried to touch you. I hold you in too high esteem.”

“Byakuya,” she said, a slight whine in her voice. He was telling her pretty words and she wanted to fall for them. But she knew what this was. It was another dismissal. Again. She had been a good girl and was sorting herself out. She wasn’t out fucking everything. Not like she hadn’t had offers. Bazz had offered. Why couldn’t she try to be happy? Because she was a self-sabotaging nutcase. This situation just proved it once again. “Got it, I missed my chance. Anyway...”

“My dear Rangiku, do not misunderstand. You never gave yourself a chance. You never took me seriously. I understood that you saw me as a potential opportunity for stability. I do not hold this against you. When you come from a family like mine, it is an unavoidable fact of life. However, you seemed to think that it was just a game; something you could bat at and play with. I am not in a position to play with anyone, Rangiku. You do not love me, just as I have not had the opportunity to know you well enough to love you. I would have liked to have had that chance. However, part of me thinks that I focused on you because I didn’t really want to have that chance. That perhaps I do not deserve it. That perhaps each of us are only entitled to one chance at happiness in a lifetime.” He paused and sighed. “I sound like an old man, Rangiku. Feel free to disregard what I have said.”

“It’s hard to take you seriously when you treat people like you do. I always felt like a burden or a bother to you. But I understand Byakuya,” she said, sniffling. She had to scrub at her eyes to stop the tears. “Thanks again.”


	58. Chapter 58

“The California Parole Board has decided to grant Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s release.”

Gin Ichimaru, Maria Cifer, and Kaname Tosen all had shaken their heads and sighed. They had been petitioning for the man to be kept behind the walls of the northern supermax prison. They all sat in the conference room at Espada Records while listening to the record label’s lawyer drone on.

After the call ended, harsh and cutting words flew around that space until a voice rang out.

“Silence!”

The three adults immediately shut up.

“Had Tosen not signed Mayuri, we wouldn’t have--”

“Had you just not slept with his wife--”

“Oh fuck off, Kaname.”

“Mature,” Gin said, chiming in.

“Let’s talk about your involvement, Gin!” Maria spat. “The drugs. Hey, let’s pimp out the crazy guy’s wife. Sound about right?”

“SILENCE!” Baraggan Louisenbairn said from the end of the table. The old man was grizzled and had a long scratch down his face that almost obscured one eye. “It is not wise to point fingers. When Mayuri is released, he will have to adhere to the terms of his parole. We will see if he comes to us. If not, and he decides to live a normal life, we go on about our business. This is nothing to get frazzled over.”

Maria Cifer looked at her father and sighed. She hoped to god that he was wrong. She hoped to everything under the sun that crazy man would stay away from them.

***

Rangiku couldn’t hide the fact anymore. She looked slightly pregnant. Fuck. A scowl sat on her face as she looked in the mirror at the dress she wore. How was she supposed to charm Ichigo into letting her give him a glow up? 

She had gone out after moving into the house and bought a pair of maternity jeans. They were damn comfortable. After that, she spent time going through her clothes, listing the items on a special website to sell fashion items. After she was done, she had several closets emptied in the garage turned walk-in closet. It had been a productive week that she took off, but now she had to be back on her game.

She decided to say fuck it. She wore a bodycon t-shirt dress with long sleeves. If someone saw her out and about, she could write it off as a burrito baby or something. Bloating. That was a good excuse.

She wore the dusty blue dress with a pair of nude pumps. Her hair was long and wavy and getting its bounce back. After the gates opened and Rangiku’s dark gray car pulled into the driveway, she sat there for a moment and looked at the house. She hadn’t been here since March. 

_ “It’s work,” _ she thought as she got out of the car. Hopefully Hailey and Grimmjow would be there, too, so she could ask them if she could film them for the makeover. She knocked on the door of the Malibu mansion.

Ichigo answered and his easy smile melted off his face as his eyes swept over his form. He swallowed twice. “Whoa,” he finally said, blinking several times. “Come in,” he added after clearing his throat.

“Hi, Ichigo. Um, I texted you about my show. Have you had a chance to think about it?” Rangiku asked as she stepped inside.

“Yeah, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Water? Milk? Herbal tea?” He hustled over to the sofa and pulled out a throw pillow, fluffing it twice before setting it against the back and gesturing to her to take a seat.

Rangiku smiled at him. “No, nothing for me. I don’t want to be a bother,” she said as she sat down, crossing her legs. “How are you guys doing?”

“Uh huh,” he said, sitting down right beside her, orienting his body toward her with one of his knees bent toward the back of the sofa. “Yeah, we’re great. How are  _ you _ doing?” he asked, leaning a bit into her space and looking at her belly.

She giggled. God was she so desperate for attention? Her head shook a bit and she smiled. “I’m okay,” she said. “Are Grimm and Hailey here?”

“No, they’re running errands. They’ll be here in a bit.” He blew a breath out of his nose and bit his lip. “Can I?” he asked, holding a hand up and hovering it about a foot away from her abdomen.

“Um, sure?” she said. “Do you want me to stand up? Because when I sit down all it looks like is that I have a beer gut.”

“No, you look gorgeous like this,” he said in a breathy voice, his hand coming down to rest on the bump and then working in a slow, gentle circle over it. He had to adjust his seat after a moment. “Just… Wow. Rangiku… You’re full of life. It’s hot.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. Ichigo was a cute guy. It had been months since anyone had touched her like this. It was nice. “Well, thanks. I can assure you that I don’t feel that way, though,” Rangiku said as she watched his hands.

It was the truth. She didn’t feel beautiful. She was just tired; exhausted; fatigued.

Ichigo hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Lorelei had been been sick and up half the night a day ago getting sick. He was a bit loopy. He was also feeling like odd-man out with Grimmjow and Hailey. They had been in synch lately, and he still felt like an outsider to a degree since coming back from Vega’s tour. Plus, since Hailey’s pregnancy, he had a huge visual attraction towards pregnant women. He leaned forward, sniffing her cheek, and sighed with a bit of a growl. “I assure you that you are, Rangiku,” he said, kissing her cheek and then leaning back to gauge her reaction.

Her eyes went wide and Rangiku looked straight ahead, smile frozen on her face. Her blue eyes shifted over to Ichigo. He had done that, hadn’t he? He had kissed her cheek. He still had his hands on her. 

Hailey was her friend. At least that’s what Rangiku assumed. She didn’t want to encroach on any territory. Plus there was Shu, but he was fucking suburban moms for the fun of it. They weren’t together. “Um,” she hummed, her cheeks turning pink as she turned her head towards Ichigo. “Thanks. It’s nice to feel attractive to someone.” 

He took the hint. He didn’t let go of her belly right away, though, and when he did he didn’t hide the fact that he used the same hand to move his dick into a more comfortable position. “You’ll have to excuse me, Ran; ever since Hailey got pregnant, the sight of a belly like yours…” He groaned softly. “It really does it for me. Again, sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. Really, it’s just been a while since anyone has shown interest in me. I mean,” she paused. What did she mean? “If I’m going to be a distraction for you, you don’t have to do my show. I don’t want to cause any problems, either.”

He looked into her eyes for a long while after she said that, a small, kind smile on his lips and warmth in his eyes. After a bit, he took her chin and brushed his lips to hers softly, then pulled back and bopped her in the nose with an index finger. “Pish posh. I’ll do your show and it will be fine and you are very interesting to a lot of people. I won’t hear anything more about that. But you have to do me a favor, okay?” he said, leaning back and relaxing his posture.

Rangiku touched her mouth and then looked at the orange haired guy. “Okay? What is it?” she asked cautiously.

“I want you to flaunt that adorable bump of yours in front of Hailey as much as possible. I want her to want to get pregnant again.”

“I think I heard her say you two had to wait a couple more years to play russian roulette.” She looked down at her stomach and sighed. “It’s not even that big. You’re like the second person to notice it. This is the first time I’ve not hidden it under clothes. But...”

He grinned at her. “I’m sure she’ll come around. And stand up. I’ll show you how cute you look,” he said, pulling his phone out.

Rangiku kind of struggled getting off the couch but eventually she did and she stood, feeling awkward. “Wait, you can’t post anything of me online. No one knows. I’d like to keep it that way until I can’t hide it anymore.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not even on those sites. I’ll send them to you and keep them for my personal collection,” he said, waggling red brows and chuckling. “Kidding. Maybe.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re a funny guy, Ichigo. What do you want me to do? Pose? Get naked?” Rangiku laughed, shaking her head.

“Well, if you’re offering, I’m not gonna say no,” he said, focusing on his phone screen. He was already taking pictures of her joking and smiling freely. “Just stand there. Let’s get some from all the angles. Maybe some with your hands on your belly. It will be nice to have those after the baby’s born,” he said, snapping away the whole time.

Rangiku followed his directions, turning and posing for the man and his “camera”. She was having fun. She was smiling and it was genuine. It wasn’t fake or forced. After some minutes of this, she jokingly brushed against Ichigo. “I guess if these turned out well, I’ll come back to you for more photoshoots.”

He noticed. She was teasing him. Well, turnabout was fair play, and he swatted her ass before announcing, “Okay. Lie down. Preggos have meetings with their feet up.” He sat on one corner of the sofa and gestured for her to take the other end, simultaneously preparing a shared photo drive for her.

The woman jumped when she was spanked and glared at Ichigo, but she sat down with her legs up on the couch, stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankle. She had to adjust some pillows behind her to get comfortable. “I should have worn something more flowy or shorter.”

“Nah, you’re good.” he said, lifting her feet and uncrossing her ankles before dropping them into his lap. “No leg crossing. It’s bad for your circulation. Now, why don’t you tell me what this makeover thing is all about?”he said, taking her shoes off and kneading the arch of one foot.

Oh, well. This was… different. Shuhei had never touched her like this. No one had. Rangiku smiled and let her head drop back into arm of the couch. “Um. It’s like what I did with--Oooh that’s nice. Don’t tickle. You will get kicked in the face... It’s the same concept as I did with Hailey. We take you at your worst and transform you into a better version of your hottest. With women that means, the works. Hair, makeup, nails, waxing, shopping.” Another groan left her as he hit another good spot. “Um...”

“Ran, look at me,” he said, waiting for her to tilt her head up just enough to see him, then he tossed his head around like a hair model. “You really think you can improve on  _ this _ ? Bitch, please,” he said in a teasing way.

She lazily raised an eyebrow. “Your brows need to be trimmed and waxed. You’ve got split ends and your lips need some balm on them. As good as your hands feel, the nails are slightly uneven and your fingers are callused. You dress okay but you need a defined style.” She took a sharp gasp of air as his fingers worked on her feet. “I’ve never seen your body like I’ve seen Grimmjow’s, but I’m assuming since you can keep up with him and Mr. H while playing basketball, you’re cut.”

“I’m wounded that you don’t remember my swimsuit figure at the barbecue at the Cifers’ last year. Of course, you were pretty preoccupied,” he said. “Also, the callouses stay. They’re hard-earned. And I have no split ends. My hair is like five minutes old.”

“I noticed everyone there but, as you say, I was preoccupied with my story at the time,” she said before sitting up. “Like I said, if you feel you don’t need it, then I can find someone else,” Rangiku smiled at him.

“I’m happy to help you out, Ran. I know my family is interesting to viewers,” he said, setting her feet down. “Did you tell him yet?”

“You could help by becoming my personal massage therapist.” Rangiku glanced at Ichigo and decided to play dumb. “Hmm? Tell who?”

His gaze became unamused. “Did you tell Shu that he’s a dad?”

She gave her head a little shake. “He’s off having the time of his life in that house with whoever. I’m working towards bettering myself. I guess that means doing this by myself,” she said and swallowed. Her eyes were starting to burn. “I should probably go. I’ll just find someone else and bother Grimmjow and Hailey about doing Glowing Up.”

“Shut your face, Ran,” he said, leaning over and gathering her up into a protective hug. “Even if you’re right, you have to tell him. He’ll find out, eventually, and the longer you wait, the worse it’s going to be. Trust me.” He gave her a bit of a squeeze and added, “And even if you’re going to do the whole mom who can do it all thing, you’re going to need support. I’m sure Hails would be happy to talk to you about being pregnant. I’d be glad to go with you to doctor appointments. I missed a lot of that with Lorelei and I feel like I missed out. You have friends, Ran. You might piss us off from time to time, but you have friends.”

She shook her head and buried her face into Ichigo’s neck. He smelled nice. He would be a fun time. She knew this from the stories Hailey had told her and listening to Orihime bitch about Ichigo. “Well if you really want to tag along, you’re welcome,” she said, her lips moving against his neck. “I don’t know what to say to him or how to tell him. Sorry I broke up with you, I took my birth control wrong, and surprise?”

“Are you sorry you broke up with him?”

“I regret it every single day. I miss him. I tried to be with someone else but I couldn’t. Like right now, the old me would fuck you in a heartbeat. This me… I’m enjoying this because I miss this with him. I’m--I’m lame. Sorry,” she sniffled and pulled back from Ichigo.

He looked into her eyes again and smiled. “You’re not lame. You’re growing up.” He loosened his arms and set his hands on her thighs, but in a very platonic way. “You need to tell him. It doesn’t matter how. You could do it in an email or a letter if you can’t call or do it in person. But tell him, and do it privately... Or with just a close friend around... Or a horny for preggos friend; I would do it,” he said with a chuckle. “His reaction is going to be what it’s going to be. But he has to know.”

Rangiku leaned forward and kissed Ichigo. She smiled at him and nodded. “I’ll text you the times I’ll be around to film. Could you ask Grimmjow for me? Talk him into it? Please? I’ll let you rub the tummy all you want if you do.”

“Oh you’re on,” he said, his gaze smoldering, until a laugh broke the spell. “I can get him to do it.”

“Good. Next time I’m bringing my lotion and you can rub that on it.”

“Stop teasing me Ran, it isn’t nice,” he warned, standing and offering her a hand to stand up.

She took it and yelped when he pulled her right up. Rangiku chuckled and put her hands on his chest. “You do realize I’m one of the biggest gossips in Los Angeles and I could so break the story of how Ichigo Kurosaki has a fetish,” she teased.

“Fuck yeah. Give out my personal email address while you’re at it and tell them my inbox is always open for pics,” he said with a chuckle, taking her hand and putting it in his elbow as he lead her to the door. “I’m sending you those belly pics as we speak, now. I kind of took a lot. It’s taking a bit of time to upload all of them, but I’ve put them into a shared iDrive.”

“Well whenever you get them up, just text me or email. Thanks Ichigo,” Rangiku said and left.

***

“Dude.”

“What the fuck do you want Grimmjow?”

“Ichigo has pics of Matsumoto on his phone.”

Ulquiorra’s brows furrowed. “Pics?”

“Pics. There’s over a hundred of her and she’s all gorgeous and pregnant. Ichi said that he wanted to fuck her badly.”

“WHAT?”

“Dude, I swear. I’m about to find out if this is true because she wants me to do that stupid fucking show of hers. You can’t tell anyone.”

Ulquiorra shook his head. This was not the fucking news he needed. He didn’t need this. Not today. “I have to tell Orihime.”

“I just fucking said--”

Ulquiorra hung up. A text message popped up with a photograph. Sure enough Rangiku was pregnant. Fuck. He called Orihime.

“Hey Ernie, what’s up?” she asked in a serene voice.

“Where are you? Is Shuhei around? I need to show you something.”

“No, I’m in the car. I can pull over, hold on a second,” she said, then pulled into a nearby parking lot. “Okay, what is it?”

“I’m sending you a picture that Grimmjow just sent me.” His voice was low as if someone would overhear him. He was the only one home. When the photo was done loading and the messages popped up as read, Ulquiorra waited.

She waited for the message with the picture to come through, and when it did, she had only one word. 

“Fuck.”


	59. Chapter 59

  * Ran, call me.
  * Ran, I know we start filming next week but I need to talk to you.
  * Ran, can we meet up for nails and lunch?
  * Please talk to me, Ran.



Orihime was beside herself. Here she and Ulquiorra had gone away for a month to some island in the middle of nowhere to get away from their emotionally challenged friends and reconnect, only to come back home and within forty-eight hours learn that the worst had happened. Everything had gone to hell in their absence. She came home that evening and started whining.

“She won’t answer me, Ulquiorra! I’ve texted and tried to call but she won’t answer! What should I do?”

“Tell Shu,” Ulquiorra replied. It wasn’t the best idea he had, but it was an idea.

“I can’t! What if it’s not his?” The question was dripping with worry, and she put the back of her hand over her brow and flopped backward onto the sofa, only to be met with a faceful of dog. “Ew, Prinny, no! Mommy doesn’t want sloppy dog kisses right now!”

“Then I don’t know what to do. My dad knows where she live; we could drop in on her.”

“You don’t think it’s too weird?”

Ulquiorra sighed. “Either make this your business or wash your hands of it, Orihime. That’s Rangiku Matsumoto and she’s pregnant. It’s a small bump, but she’s knocked up.”

Scoff. Scoff. SCOFF. “Fine, if you’re so cavalier about it, how would you feel if I was pregnant and I didn’t tell you? Hmm?”

“It depends, are we together or not?”

“Either. Both.”

“I’d be concerned as to why you didn’t tell me about it if we’re together. If we’re separated I’d be concerned as to when I was gonna get slapped with child support.”

It was then that Orihime’s phone rang.

Brown eyes widened. She couldn’t believe him. Fucking wow. What a prince. She shook her head and walked outside, letting Princess out with her, and then answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi Orihime! Sorry I’ve been busy,” Rangiku said. There was laughter in the background and the woman scoffed. “Grimmjow is the world’s biggest asshole.”

“What? What’s going on?” Orihime asked. Sounded drama-free, wherever she was.

“Put that down, you animal!” Rangiku shouted. Another noise of disgust. “I’m filming him for _Glowing Up Gifted_ and he’s a child. Him and Ichigo together are children. I don’t know how Hailey stands it. I got your messages. What did you need to talk to me about?”

“Um, your pregnancy?”

“Heh,” came the nervous chuckle. “Um, pregnancy?”

“Yeah, the one Grimmjow told my husband about who told me. What the hell?”

Orihime could probably hear Rangiku going off, yelling at Grimmjow how it wasn’t his fucking business what was going on in her life. She could probably hear her screaming at the top of her lungs at the man. Then there was a door slamming and the click of high heels against concrete. A beep. A car door opening and shutting. A deep breath. “What about it?” Rangiku said some minutes later.

“Nothing, I guess. See you next week.” Orihime hung up, her face burning. She took a seat on one of the lounge chairs by the pool and brooded, trying to keep the feelings of betrayal at bay. 

This wasn’t her problem.

She didn’t have a say in it.

Rangiku wasn’t obligated to tell her anything.

Still, it hurt, and she sat there and let it eat at her until the sun started setting.

***

She went back into the house and apologized to Grimmjow. He sat there nursing his jaw. He just nodded his head at her. Rangiku left and then made a phone call that she should have made months ago. “Call Shuhei.”

Shuhei had been running on the beach with his phone in a carrying case strapped to his waist, connected to his ears with bluetooth earbuds. When the call interrupted his music, he tapped on the button that would switch over to the call and said, panting, “Hello?”

“I’m not interrupting anything am I?” Rangiku asked.

His breath stopped. His feet stopped. If it wasn’t required for life his heart would have stopped. His exertion caused him to run low on oxygen quickly and he sucked in a sharp breath after a moment, then said, “Ran?”

“It’s me!” she said using her greeting that she did for YouTube videos. “Hello, Shu, am I interrupting?”

He breathed heavily for another couple breaths and then said, “No, I was just taking a run. What’s up?”

“We need to talk. Face to face. Do you think you could do lunch? Sometime soon?”

Well, she sounded all business. This was probably about her show. Someone from her staff had contacted Kiyone, who had just been hired as his assistant. He was being pressured to appear on the program; something about building hype for his upcoming album. He sighed softly then. “Yeah, sure. Name the time, I’m flexible.”

“I just got done shooting Grimmjow’s episode. He’s an asshole. Next week I have Orihime. Um, can you do... Thursday the twelfth? Maybe around eleven a.m. to one?”

“Wow. Two weeks out to schedule a lunch. Busy busy. That should be fine. Have your guy call Kiyone, he has her number; he’s called already.”

“Shuhei, this isn’t about the show. This is a personal matter,” Rangiku said, her voice stern.

“Seriously? Two weeks out for a personal matter that can’t be discussed over the phone? Fine. Text me the details. I’ll make it work.”

She sighed. “Do you really want to do this now? I’m on my way to my house in Sherman Oaks. I can give you the address and you can meet me there. This needs to be discussed in private anyway. I don’t know what I’m thinking by inviting you to lunch.”

Shuhei pressed his eyes shut. It had been months since he had heard from her and she was back on her game-playing bullshit. It was probably better just to get this done and over with. “Fine. I need an hour and then I can leave. Text me the address.”

“I could come to your house if your significant other isn’t there.”

“You’re real funny, Ran. We broke up months ago.”

She pursed her lips. “I’ll let you decide. I can come to your home where you’re most comfortable and we can discuss this like adults. We can discuss this at my home, if you’d like. Or we can cause a scene in public. I’ll leave the decision up to you since I’m the one asking for your attention.”

Shuhei's brows gathered at the nerve of her. “Yeah, just… Come over I guess. Don’t ring the bell; Shiloh goes nuts. Just knock.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in about an hour, maybe ninety minutes.”

***

She went home. She changed into a halter style harem jumpsuit. It was stylish, lazy maternity wear. She grabbed a white cardigan to put over it and then braided her hair, so that it went over one shoulder. She put on a simple pair of flats because her feet were aching from the high heels. 

An hour later, her car pulled into Shuhei’s driveway and she grabbed her stuff. She had the ultrasound photos. She had the doctor’s reports with her conception date and due date. She took a deep breath and got out of the car and walked up the walk to the front door. 

She knocked lightly.

Shiloh jumped up and put her paws on the front door, looking at the woman through the frosted glass with her tail wagging. Shuhei was several paces behind. “Down girl,” he said, opening the door in jeans and a white t-shirt.

He saw her face and a small half smile appeared on his, despite himself. Then, as they always did, his eyes swept down her body. His brows twitched. “Come in,” he said, standing back and holding Shiloh by the collar.

Rangiku stepped into the house and then bent down as much as she could to let the pretty dog sniff her hand. “Hello, Shiloh. You’re a pretty girl,” the blonde said.

“Congratulations,” Shuhei said, leading the way to the living room. “Have a seat.” He sat in an armchair at one end of a coffee table.

“I’m good just standing,” she said and placed the papers on the table. “What are you congratulating me for?”

His eyes widened a bit and he gestured to her belly. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Congratulate yourself then?” She sighed.

His brow furrowed. “What?”

She slid the papers towards him. “I took the birth control wrong. I’m not asking you for help. I was told I should inform you of the circumstances.”

“What the fuck is that? “You were told to inform me?” You “took your birth control wrong?” You let me… You jumped on it and told me to do that! You--” he couldn’t speak, the room was spinning. He had to support his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

Rangiku gestured to the printout sitting on the coffee table. “I got pregnant around the beginning of June. I know I fucked up, Shuhei. I apologize. As I said, I’m not asking for help. I’ve been doing this on my own. You are the only person I’ve voluntarily slept with since the beginning of this year.” 

“You don’t get to decide that. You don’t get to just get knocked up and then say it’s just yours. We had agreed---” he put his face in his hands again and began to cry. “This--”

Shuhei bleated out a loud sob. He couldn’t handle this. He was going to disappoint his mother. And now there was this woman in his living room who broke his heart, showing up months later saying she was pregnant and telling him he was no better than an anonymous sperm donor who doesn't get a say in anything. “How long have you known?” he finally choked out.

The woman sighed and went to sit on the couch in the spot closest to him. Rangiku took the hand out and looked at the date at the top. “June--end of June? Look, I have photos from it. It’s just a little thing. These were the--” She cleared her throat and looked away from him.

His tear-stained face snapped up and he pushed the papers away from him. “Three months?” he shouted. “Three fucking months! You sat on this and didn’t tell me for three goddamned months?! What kind of person are you?!”

She had to remain calm. She couldn’t get upset. Rangiku gathered the papers and the ultrasound pics that she had brought with her and then stood up. She didn’t have to stay there and listen to him. “You were with someone. I didn’t want to bother you with it.”

“That’s BULLSHIT, Ran, and you know it! You were just being a selfish fucking bitch as usual! You don’t get pregnant and not tell your ex! It doesn’t matter if I fucking married that chick! This is _my_ baby just as much as it is yours and you didn’t have any FUCKING right to keep it from me!”

She turned away from him and started walking towards the door she came in. He was right. She had been selfish. “It’s not like I chose to do this,” Rangkiu said.

“What, fuck me raw or lie to me or the past ninety days? Because I’d say you chose it.”

“Fine, Shu. I got knocked up on purpose,” she stated. She glanced at him and then at a spot on the wall. “I’m sorry. I’ll--I don’t know.”

“You’ll tell me about your next appointment,” he said quietly, looking at the floor.

“October twenty-third. Ichigo was going to go with me. It’s an ultrasound appointment.”

“Time? Place?”

“It’s the Beverly Hills Women’s Center at eleven a.m.,” she replied. Rangiku looked at him again. “Anything else? Do you want my address so you can come check on me?” 

“I’ll need it,” he said, sniffling.

“Shu, I didn’t want this to halt your progress in your career. I didn’t want you to--I don’t know. I just didn’t want to burden you with this. It does make me a selfish bitch, but that’s only because I don’t want my kid calling another woman mom.” Rangiku sighed.

“That’s not your choice to make, Ran. You opened that door when you walked out on me. You don’t get to decide.”

She gave a nod. She wasn’t going to give him her address. Not with how he was acting. “I’ll text you,” Rangiku said before walking over to the entrance.

***

It was late when he called, but he didn’t know what else to do. He had talked to his mom. She was more sympathetic than he had anticipated and told him what he needed to do. He cried to her and she listened.

That’s not what this call was about.

“This had better be good, Shu,” Ulquiorra said and looked back at the naked ass of his wife as he closed the door to the bedroom.

He couldn’t speak at first; only shuddering breaths passing over the mouthpiece. After about ten seconds, he said in a thick, gravelly voice, “Did your dad help Ran get her place?”

“Are you okay man? Do you need someone to come sit with you?” Ulquiorra asked as he sat on the bottom step.

“I’m not fucking okay. I’m never going to be okay,” he said, his voice faltering, followed by some more breaths. “Did you know?”

“Uh, Grimmjow sent me a pic of Rangiku and she was posing in it. He sent that to me today--well, now yesterday. Apparently Ichigo has a bunch of photos on his phone of Ran. Grimm found them...” Ulquiorra trailed off. “Why do you want to know Ran’s address?”

“I’m going to have to send her some documents,” he replied.

Ooh. Ouch. The green-eyed man sighed. “Um, I can get it for you. It’s on Halbert? Halbird Avenue? Something like that, but she lives in Sherman Oaks. She lives like less than ten miles away from you.”

“That’s good, I guess. Jesus Christ, Ulq… I don’t know how I’m going to do this,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

He had no advice for the guy. “What do you want to do? What would be the ideal situation?”

Shuhei sighed. “I guess go back in time and never have sex with her, but barring that, and the situation being as it is, she’d step back and give me custody.”

Again. Ouch, but Matsumoto probably had this coming. “Good luck, buddy. I would say try and work things out with her, but I’m not you. This is your own situation. I’ve never had to deal with this.”

“She told me she knew in her mind that she didn’t love me; that she had been using me for sex and as a comfort pillow or something. I don’t know how to work things out. I don’t know if I want to. Who wants to be with someone who doesn’t want them back? I don’t.”

Ulquiorra had to take a deep breath. He had been in these shoes before. He had laced them up and took them for a fucking long test drive. “I didn’t love Orihime at first. It was an infatuation; shallow puppy love. I thought I loved her. It took me months of almost killing myself and all that fucking drama to realize that what we had was special and I wanted it.”

The other man hissed a breath into his mouth. “Ow. No wonder she’s so insecure all the time.”

“Yeah. I was an asshole. It took her getting attacked for me to realize that this woman was my world. That I wanted to spend the rest of my life driving her crazy and annoying the hell out of her. Orihime is my life,” Ulquiorra said quietly. “I would do anything she asked.”

Shuhei raised his brows. It was nice to shift the focus off of his own problems for a moment. “Wow. Well, then. Uh… Kind of makes me wish I had thrown the first punch,” he said and then let out a shaky laugh. When he was done, the sadness returned.

“I beat myself up everyday for being a dumb ass. I’m sure Ran is kicking herself in the ass every day. Even to this day, Shu, I blame myself and I don’t see how Orihime loves me,” Ulquiorra replied. He coughed, trying to rid his voice of the wavering emotion there. “Let me get to my computer and I can tell you where she lives, okay?”

“Okay.”

***

Rangiku arrived at the Cifer residence early Monday morning. She wanted to get this done and over with. The production crew was in a van behind her and Rose was in his car behind them. She pressed the buzzer.

As the vehicles came to a stop in the driveway, Rangiku got out. She was wearing a pair of black maternity pants and a creamy wool sweater. Her hair was done in a messy bun. She looked like hell but smiled at the woman. 

“Come in, Ran!” Orihime said with a wide smile, half expecting cameras to be following her already. The smile dropped a bit when she realized that they weren’t.

“Hi, once the crew gets set up, I’ll introduce you to Rose. He’s my personal assistant and hair guy. Do you need your nails done? Because I can recycle the footage from the other video we did. We can get this done and over in a day,” she said.

Orihime frowned. It didn’t seem like Rangiku wanted to do this. “Okay… I mean, I am not going to say no to new nails but if you don’t want to do it, just recycle the stuff from the last time and we’ll film a reveal or whatever?” she said, unenthusiastic.

Rangiku gave the redhead a strained smile. “I’m not feeling the best today. I didn’t get much sleep since I spoke with Mister Hisagi.” She shrugged, trying to fend off this feeling of doom and memory of his anger. There wasn’t really a way to repair this; to repair them. She had fucked up. She deserved his ire. She deserved the biting words and the obscenities he had thrown at her. 

Selfish fucking bitch.

If the shoe fit…

She cleared her throat. “Um, do you still have the dress and the shoes?”

“Um, maybe? I don’t know. The shoes, for sure. The dress might have gotten wrecked. Want to come downstairs and check?”

“Sure,” the blonde replied. She turned and told Rose where she was going before following Orihime inside the home.

“So, Ulquiorra told me you finally told him,” Orihime said after they got to the bottom of the steps.

“Yep. He yelled at me. He got angry. He called me names. It’s life. I understand I was wrong. I was stupid,” Rangiku said, not looking at Orihime.

“Do you really? I mean, do you have the slightest idea how he might be feeling? It’s not just about what you did wrong or how you made bad choices. It’s the fear.”

“I don’t know how he feels about the situation. He won’t talk to me like a grownup. He just wants to scream at me.”

Orihime turned her head around to make unimpressed eye contact with Rangiku. “Use your imagination. Stop thinking for just a moment about what this means for you, and think about what it means for him. It might give you some clarity.”

“I can imagine he’s… emotional about this,” Rangiku said. She sighed. “Nothing has to change. I’m doing this. I just--I want to go back to June. I want to go back farther than that. I want to go back to July. I’d be his friend. I would listen to him. I screwed it all up and that’s on me, Orihime. I know he wants to be a part of Baby M’s life. The problem is he doesn’t want me to be in it. I can tell.”

“You don’t have a clue, Ran,” she said, shaking her head. “He would have given you the world. You gave him up for a necklace.”

“I gave him up because I was unsure of myself and he deserved more than that. I don’t even have that necklace anymore. I sold it when I moved into my house. It wasn’t about the necklace, Orihime. It’s about the fact that I needed time to think. I needed time to learn about myself and deal with stuff that I’ve never dealt with. I didn’t leave him for a necklace. If it was just about a necklace or who has a bigger wallet, I would have gone to a clinic and asked them to get rid of the baby. I could have been--” she paused, emotions choking her. It took her a moment to calm down. “When presented with things like “falling in love” with Byakuya Kuchiki or even fucking Ichigo Kurosaki, all I thought about was Shuhei. I love him. I care for him. I miss him. I regret every day that I left.”

A small sob escaped her and Rangiku shook her head. Here she was having another pity party for herself. She sniffled and used the palm of her hands to swipe at her eyes, glad that she hadn’t worn a lot of makeup. “I’m still rooting for him. I don’t wish ill for him. I’m not scared of him. I understand his anger. I was a selfish bitch and I made decisions that affected both of us when they weren’t mine to make.”

“I made the choice to not listen to what my doctor was saying about the birth control. I made the choice to climb on top of him without protection. I’m the one who chose to say yes to him the next time he wanted it. I decided all of that.”

“But?” Orihime asked. So far Rangiku had presented all the arguments about why she had made her decisions and why Shuhei had reacted as he did. She did not say anything about what she planned to do with that information.

“But nothing. I hope Shuhei does well. I hope that we can come to an understanding. I hope that he can forgive me. I don’t know,” Rangiku replied. “I don’t know.”

“And you won’t know until you take a step in his direction. You burned the bridge with him. You’re going to have to be the one doing the heavy lifting to repair it. He’ll eventually have to meet you halfway, if that’s what you both want. What do you want?” she asked, turning around fully and waiting for her reply.

Rangiku felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. “I want him back in my life. I want to make a home with him. I want to raise our child together. I don’t even know how to begin to repair it. I figured if I let him go on with his life, he’d eventually be happy.”

Orihime grinned at her, her eyes sparkling. She walked forward and gave Rangiku a hug that squished their bodies together without any kind of reservation or self-consciousness. She held it for a long moment and then stepped back, breathing a sigh of relief. “Rangiku, you’re an idiot,” she announced, still grinning. “But you’re an idiot I can work with. Come on, let’s finish work and then we can work on you.”   
  


“I know I’m an idiot but what do you mean work on me?”

***

Shuhei was in the studio working on a song that he had written before he found out about the pregnancy, called “Thinking is Overrated”. Hanataro was in the sound booth with a technician, watching with increasing concern. Finally he came over the headphones, “Shuhei? Mr. Hisagi? Is something wrong?”

Shu looked up at the man who had never before called him by his first name. “Huh?”

“I mean, you sound… You sound… I hate to say it and to be rude but you sound awful. Like tonedeaf awful. I think we should call it quits for today.”

Shuhei nodded. He didn’t even argue. He hated the song. He hated everything. He just wanted everything to be okay.

It was not okay, though. He had a meeting with a lawyer the next day. They drew up the paperwork.There was no rush to file it yet; the baby wasn’t due for another four months or so at least. A lot could happen during that time. But the paternity claim was ready to be filed as soon as Shuhei called and pulled the trigger.

“Do you know you are exposing yourself to a sizable child support obligation, Mr. Hisagi?”

“Yes, I am well aware of this.”

“And do want us to fight against this as hard as we can?”

“No. I’m prepared to pay what the law allocates.”

The lawyers frowned and tried to talk sense into him, but Shuhei wouldn’t have it. No child of his was going to have a deadbeat dad. He wasn’t Shuhei Hisagi, Sr.

After the meeting with the lawyers, he called Ulquiorra again.

“Hey man. I’m in the sound booth, what’s up?” Ulquiorra asked. He held up a hand to Oetsu and motioned for the song to stop.

“Oh, I’m sorry, man. I was just wondering if you would want to go out or stop by for a drink. I need to talk to somebody.” He sounded much calmer than the other day.

“Sure, um, let me talk to Oetsu. Dick!”

There was some muffled talking and laughing. “Yo Ulq? Wassup?”

“Do I sound like shit? Can I go?”

“You don’t like the sound?” Oetsu asked.

“Nah, I’ve got something to do, though.”

There was more muffled talking and Ulquiorra sighed. “You still okay Shu? Hanging on?”

“By a thread. Hence the need to talk.”

Ulquiorra looked at Wonderwiess, who was using sign language and ended up telling Ulquiorra he was a vagina. “That little fucker. Okay they’re letting me go. Where do you want to meet?”

“Uh, uh, how about that dive in Sherman Oaks on Woodman Ave? It’s on both of our ways home.”

The other man wasn’t going to point out that Sherman Oaks was where Rangiku called home. It would be cruel of him. “Yeah, give me an hour to get there. Okay? Keep hanging on,” Ulquiorra said before hanging up.

“Okay,” Shu said to himself, jogging out the door to the Soul Society parking garage. He had almost gotten to his car when another man stopped him.

“Mr. Hisagi.”

“I don’t have time, Kuchiki. I have an appointment.”

“This won’t be but a moment. I came to give you something.”

“Okay…” Shuhei said, holding out his hand as Byakuya passed him an envelope. “What is this?”

“It is full disclosure. What is on that disk is the worst of what happened. It may come as a comfort to you, it may not. For the sake of your productivity I hope that it does; people are talking about you having lost your ability to hear music.”

Shuhei scoffed. “I can hear it just fine. I just don’t have it in me to make it right now.”

Byakuya tilted his head back a bit and looked down his nose at the other man. “You would do well to count your blessings, Mr. Hisagi. Not all of us are as fortunate as you,” he said, before stalking off in another direction.

Shuhei looked down at the envelope in his hand and shrugged. He would deal with it later. He had a date to keep with Mr. Boner.

***

Ulquiorra pushed his way into the bar and looked around for Shuhei. He saw him sitting in the corner. Walking over to the man’s table, he sat down and looked at Shu. “By a thread? That thread must be single ply.”

“Do I look that bad, or have you heard rumors?”

“The walls of Soul Society would cave if people didn’t flap their lips,” came the reply.

Shuhei sighed, signaling to the waitress to come and take Ulquiorra’s order. “I just feel like nothing matters right now. None of it. I went to a lawyer’s today to get a paternity action started and they were like, “fight for lower child support!” and I was just… No. You don’t do that to a kid.” He sighed again, and looked at the green-eyed man. “I just can’t believe it.”

“Matsumoto was at our house on Monday,” Ulquiorra said in a flat voice.

“Yeah?” Shu replied, then turned his attention to his bottle of light beer and took a sip.

“My wife must have thought I was either asleep or in the studio,” he stated. He smiled at Shuhei. “Women like to talk. A lot.”

“Oh? What do they like to talk about? Dick size?” he asked, sliding his eyes over.

“Nope,” Ulquiorra said and turned to get one of the waitstaff’s attention, pointing to the beer Shu had. “Ran tried to play this flippant game with Orihime. My wife pulled out all the fucking stops and put Ran in her place.”

Shuhei’s brows rose and he sat up a bit straighter. “What did she say?”

“Ran or Veggs?” Ulquiorra paused for a moment while the beer was sat in front of him and he paid for it after showing his ID. He gave the man a serious stare. “Veggs told her to get her head out of her ass and think about your feelings and it might clear her vision. Rangiku… well, she said a lot. I’m an asshole. I’m the asshole who recorded it.”

Wow. People were giving him information he didn’t collect on his own left and right today. “Do I want to hear this?” He thought a bit more. “Am I ready to hear this?”

“Dunno man,” Ulquiorra said, taking a long drink of the beer. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on and if by the end of this conversation you want to hear it, I will send you the file.”

“Well, basically…” Shuhei sighed. He had invited Ulquiorra out and he didn’t even know what he wanted to talk about. “I’m just really fucked. Like… I’m having this kid, with a woman who doesn’t want me to be a part of said kid’s life, who didn’t even tell me said kid existed until a couple days ago. I don’t know if I have the strength to deal with this. I’m still not at all over Rangiku breaking my heart. I never dealt with that. And this on top of it… I don’t know how to cope on a day to day basis, much less look to the future,” he said, then took a drink with a slightly shaky hand.

Ulquiorra laid his phone on the table and produced some wireless earbuds for the man to use. Waited for Shuhei to take them. “Misunderstandings abound. You know what this is? This is _Much Ado About Nothing,_ except it’s a lot to do with everything.”

“You sound like you speak from experience,” Shuhei said in a cynical tone, taking the earbuds and waiting. “Are you sure this is going to help? I don’t know if I can handle it if it’s not.”

“I do speak from experience. And that’s up to you. Do you think you want to hear her words now?”

“I don’t know. I’m afraid that even if it’s everything I want to hear, I’m just going to get angry. I lost it when she told me, Ulq. It was not pretty. I never expected to react that way. I cried. I fucking cried like a baby. I lashed out at her. I told her she was a selfish fucking bitch. I mean, she did come over all condescending like she was going to run this show; I couldn’t let her think that, but… I don’t know. It was like all the music was playing in dissonance and I couldn’t think or feel or understand, only try to survive.”

“I’ve felt like that. I have felt like that. When I came back out here the December after breaking up with Veggs… My music left. I didn’t want to sing. I didn’t want to do shit. I laid and stared at the fucking ocean. I cried. God did I fucking cry like a fucking bitch. I checked out for several months. I didn’t come back to reality until a week or two before South by Southwest?” He shook his head. “Just… listen to this. If you get angry, go talk to Ran. She’s like what? A couple blocks away?”

Shuhei nodded. “In the meantime… There is the matter of this,” Shuhei said, pulling out the envelope Byakuya gave him. “I got this from Kuchiki. He said that it contains “full disclosure”. I don’t know what the hell he means, but I’m a little scared. He also mentioned that this is “the worst of it”. I want to know what is on here, too, before I talk to Ran - if I do.” He passed the envelope to Ulquiorra. “Maybe you could screen it for me? I don’t want to go full Hulk if it’s really bad.”

Ulquiorra looked in the envelope and saw the flashdrive. He pulled it out and looked at the end. “Holy shit. A flash drive that can connect to an iPhone. Do you have an iphone? Because I’m not watching this or listening or browsing while you’re listening to the audio I recorded.”

“Yeah, here,” Shu said, sliding his phone across the table to Ulquiorra.

The green-eyed man took the device and plugged it into the phone. He then took Shuhei’s finger and unlocked it. Ulquiorra smirked. “Let’s see what kind of shit you have on here,” he said with a smile. “I’m kidding do not punch me.”

Shuhei chuckled. “I’ve heard about your wife’s hobbies. I’m sure whatever I have on there is more tame than yours.”

“Put the earbuds in and listen,” Ulquiorra said as he tapped in his passcode and showed Shuhei the right file to play.

***

He drove there. He wasn’t sure if he was going to get out of the car, but he needed time to think, regardless.

Ulquiorra had acted like the thing that Byakuya provided was no big deal. Shuhei watched and listened. It was a big deal. It was a big fucking deal. It was date stamped. If memory served, it was on or before, potentially a day after she broke up with him. She had been flirting with the idea of leaving him before the party at Kisuke’s. She betrayed him in thought, if not in deed.

Still, she hadn’t blatantly jumped into Byakuya’s arms. She flirted and tried to provoke him, but when he didn’t bite and put the screws to her, she backed down. She had told him she needed time to think. She wasn’t with him now, so clearly she had thought about it and ultimately turned him down.

Still, it burned him. It did make him angry. She got that necklace, and from that moment it was all downhill. She had been flirting with the idea of leaving Shuhei for a man of better means. The fact that she didn’t go through with it was not much comfort.

But then there was the thing she said to Orihime. She regretted her decisions. She wanted him back in her life. She wanted to raise their child together.

For a reason that was not immediately obvious to him, her choice of words was important. She regretted it. She wanted to have a part in his life. She wanted to raise their child together. She loved him. That last part was a sticking point. She had told him when she left him that she didn’t love him. At least not enough to stay.

He had to be reasonable. She wanted to co-parent their child. He wanted to co-parent their child, if the circumstances were alright. If she could be reasonable and civil and supportive, he would be more than happy to co-parent with her.

That was a lie. He wanted to wife up the girl of his dreams and have a litter of children and live together in suburban bliss.

Well, tough, Shu. You knocked up your now ex. Time to put on your waders and walk through some shit.

It was with that thought that he walked up to her door, double-checking the address, and knocked.


	60. Chapter 60

"Hey everyone! It's me! Welcome to _It'sRan!_ I am Rangiku. Um, today isn't any tea on anyone. I wanted to show off my new home and give you guys a tour. Maybe one of these days we can have a storytime while sitting out at the pool. That would be good wouldn't it? I can tell you guys what I'm up to? Right now? We're walking up my driveway." The camera she was holding showed a cozy front porch with a dark stone floor and dark wood door. There were two wicker chairs with coral throw pillows on them and two planters sitting by them. There was a welcome mat that said "Smile".

"I like my house. It's not big, but I really like it. Most of my stuff can fit into it. I'm thinking about taking out the garage and making that into a master suite because right now," the blonde said shielding her eyes from the late afternoon sun, "It's only a two bedroom and I think... I think I need more room."

Rangiku smiled and then the video showed the front door opening and revealing an open concept living space. She walked into the room and turned to the right, showing a kitchen island and a counter against the wall. "Okay this is my kitchen, and right now I've got quartz countertops, which I'm not crazy about, but it works for right now."

"The walls were bright white, which with everything, once it was put in here, was blinding. So I hired some painters to give me an accent wall. I took inspiration from a friend's home and did this patterned dark gray wall which I really fell in love with..." The camera panned over to the dining room/kitchen wall which showed the same wall pattern as had been in Shuhei's home.

"Back here is my garage, laundry room with another bath and a pantry with a sliding door," she said as she huffed and walked back down the hall. She opened the door to the garage which was full of portable closets. and dressers and totes. "This is where my closet is for right now. I'm downsizing my possessions and selling everything I don't want. I'll leave a link below where you can find my stuff."

The tour went on as Rangiku showed off the backyard and pool. She really didn't have a yard. She had a small area of grass but it wasn't anything that was a big deal. The inground pool took up the most space. She took the camera back inside and panned over to the living area. There wasn't a television in the room.

"So I only have one television and I like to watch TV in bed which drives someone I'm friends with crazy. I ate in bed one time and he called me a heathen. So this is my entertaining area. It does the job if I ever do entertain people." Rangiku laughed and shook her head. She walked into the short hallway where there were three doors.

"This is my bedroom; it's small. There’s the TV," Rangiku said as she opened the door and walked in the room. Her bed was there with her bedside table and there were pictures and things on the walls. The TV was mounted to one wall. She then backed out of the bedroom and went to the bathroom, showing that off. She went to turn into the second bedroom but there was a knock at the door.

“Who could that be?” Rangiku asked as she stopped the video and walked to the front door. She set her phone down before she opened it. God, she wished she hadn’t. Shuhei was standing there and his car was in her driveway, parked right behind hers. “Hi,” she said, her blue eyes staring up at his face.

“Can we talk? Can we try to have this talk one more time, I mean?”

“Sure, come in. Do you want something to drink?” Rangiku asked as she moved away from the door and let him in. After he stepped inside, she closed and locked it. “Pick a seat, if you want.”

He walked over to the sofa that was against the living room wall and sat down. “Um, do you mind letting me have a water?” He was afraid he might get emotional again, and if he did, he was going to need it.

Rangiku nodded and smiled before turning to semi-waddle/walk to the kitchen. Her legs were hurting much more these days. Charley horses were a bitch to deal with. She opened one side of the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water and brought them back over to Shuhei, handing him one and keeping the other for herself. She didn’t know if she should sit next to him or not, so she just remained standing, staring at him.

“Have a seat, Ran,” he said, gesturing to one of the chairs across from him. “I’m not gonna snap your head off, and you are making me nervous.”

She turned and walked the few steps over to the chair and sat down, placing her hands on her stomach and crossing her legs. “I mean, you have every right to, but that’s murder and cleaning up blood is a bitch. These floors aren’t mahogany so it would show up,” she said with a small laugh.

He looked at her with a far off expression for a moment and then said quietly, “I never realized you had such a dark sense of humor.”

She looked at the fireplace to her right and then back at him. “It kind of happens when you’ve had my upbringing and life. When you don’t deal with your trauma, the demons kind of take root.”

He raised his brows and nodded. “Be that as it may, you don’t usually share that twisted bit of yourself. I like it. Shows character.”

A tiny smirk showed up on Rangiku’s face before she shook her head. “Thanks? I promise you that if I don’t suppress it, it shows up a lot more and kind of turns people off. Why are you here Shuhei?”

“I’ve been thinking. I’ve been talking to people. I’ve been crying and pissed off and feeling like I’ve been constantly betrayed. I talked to my Mom, Ran,” he said the last part like it was very significant. “I promised her I would never do this; knock someone up. I disappointed her. But you know what she said to me?”

“It wasn’t your fault this happened, Shu.”

“That is not what she said. She said, and I quote: “You fucked up, Shu. You fucked up big time. But I love you. This is not the end of the world. And if you do the right thing, it can be so wonderful”.”

Rangiku looked at the man sitting across from her. She studied him. There was tension in his face. He was trembling. It was obvious to her that at any point whatever house of cards he had built could and would come crashing down and he would lose everything. She put the back of her hand against her mouth and flexed her hand a couple of times, trying to think of what to say to him. “You didn’t fuck up Shuhei. I won’t let you accept the blame for this. I take full responsibility for my actions,” she finally said.

“You didn’t get pregnant on your own, Ran. I’m here because I think if we both take responsibility for our own actions and try to rebuild some kind of relationship - regardless of what it looks like - we could be very, very happy co-parents.” He took a deep, shaky breath and blinked away tears that were threatening to fall. “This wasn’t what I wanted. This wasn’t what you wanted,” he said, his voice tight. “But this is what we have, and I don’t want to give it up.” Those tears fell, and he wiped them away quickly, blinking more and waiting for her response.

There was a lot to unpack. She wasn’t going to. She was just going to throw the damn suitcase away. If he didn’t like it, he could leave. “I’m sorry for not considering your feelings in this entire situation. I don’t want to co-parent,” she said, pausing before she continued, looking down at her lap. “I know you don’t trust me. I know you think I’m a selfish bitch. I am at times. I’m a childish brat who likes to play games. I’ve learned, with what I decided, that I don’t have time to play games anymore. I’m going to lay this out for you Shu. It’s not what I planned. It’s not what you planned but I do not want to co-parent. I want to be with you. I want you to help me raise this kid. I want us to have a life together. I want us. It’s going to take a lot of work on my part to try and repair it.” 

It was only when she stopped speaking, Rangkiu looked at him.

She still didn’t get it. He took a deep breath. “Ran, I wanted us. I wanted it more than anything. You betrayed me. You lied to me. I talked to Byakuya today, Ran, so I know what I’m talking about.” He sighed and looked at the floor and then took a deep breath and looked back at her. “I can’t just get over that and say, sure, let’s just pick up where we left off. I want to have a good relationship with you, Ran. If we can make it work and get back to us, I would be so happy. But in the meantime, I need assurance that we can try our damndest to be the best parents we can be and have the best relationship we can manage for our baby.”

“I know I betrayed you. I did lie to you. I admit to those. I regret it. I should have never done it,” Rangki said. She stood up and started pacing the floor behind the chairs, silent for several long moments. “I’m not asking you to take me back. I’m not saying that we should pick up where we left off. If we cannot evolve our relationship then I will be the best mom I can be to this baby and I will maintain a civil relationship with you.”

Shuhei nodded. “I don’t know how to do this, Ran. I’m gonna try my hardest, but I’m telling you now, I don’t know how. I’m scared. I mean, we couldn’t even handle Lore’s poop,” he said with an awkward laugh and he wiped his eyes again. “I’m sorry that this is so fucked up. But… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I am glad it’s fucked up with you.”

Lorelei’s little explosion was one of the reasons they were in this mess. Had Rangiku just forgiven Shuhei for what happened she wouldn’t have felt guilty and she would have never fucked him like she did. That was on her. She said nothing about it though. She also didn’t say anything about dodging a bullet with  _ Cassie _ . “I’m scared too. I’ve been watching how to videos and talking to some of the moms at the doctor’s office. I’ve been meaning to pick Hailey’s brain but after what happened with Ivan and Grimmjow, I don’t feel… It’s not important.” Rangiku sighed and walked over to where he sat. “Stand up.”

He wiped his eyes once more and sniffed, before wiping his hands on his jeans and standing. He looked down at her and waited.

She almost opened her mouth and told him to trust her. Hah! Like he would. She smiled at him before she grabbed his wrists and placed his hands on that baby bump. “Congratulations, Daddy,” Rangiku said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. When it all comes down to it, I was scared. I was scared that you’d reject me or that you’d think I was trying to use you again. I’m sorry.”

He said nothing, focusing his attention on what was beneath his hands. His breath caught in his throat. His lower lip pressed up into his upper one and began to tremble. This was real. It was all he could do to breathe and let the realization crash over him again and again.

Rangiku gave him a smile, although he didn’t notice it. He seemed in awe. Well, if he really wanted to experience this, she would allow it. She backed away from him. Having a damn maxidress on wasn’t something she could just pull up and let him touch her stomach without revealing everything. “Stay here, I’m gonna go get changed so you can actually feel your baby, okay?”

He nodded, not able to trust his voice from breaking, and sat back down.

She backed up and disappeared into her bedroom, leaving the door cracked just a bit as she shut the blinds in the room and slipped the dress off along with her under things. She had to look in her dresser to find a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. After she was done, Rangiku opened the door and then went to the table by the front door and grabbed her phone. “Ichigo took some photos of me. I kind of want to take some photos of you and the bump, if you don’t mind, to look back on once Baby M is born.”

He stood and walked over to where she stood. “Okay,” he said, his voice still tight. “But before that, I just wanted to say, all other feelings and bullshit aside, thank you.”

He put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into his body, hiding his eyes in her hair. She could feel him silently choke on sobs as he held her. At one point, he turned his face to her cheek and pressed a kiss free of any longing or tension to her cheek. It was a mark of pure gratitude; nothing more or less.

As she felt his lips on her cheek, Rangiku could feel that wall of emotions breaking and cracking. She didn’t want to cry with him here. She didn’t want to show any weakness while he was here but that kiss… It tore her up. He had kissed her like that before while asking her questions before he made love to her. Rangiku shook her head. Here she was trying to read into things again. 

Taking a step back from Shuhei, Rangiku lifted up her t-shirt and tucked it under her boobs. Her pj pants didn’t even fit over the bump so those were already down around her hips. “Tada,” she said holding hands out.

His laughter surprised himself, and he bit his lip and looked at her with his red, wet eyes and blushed, smiling though the act was unthinkable just a moment ago. “Can I?” He asked, his eyes darting down to her belly.

“Yeah, just don’t shake or press too hard or the internal ninja likes to kick me. Heartburn is a bitch by the way.” Rangiku walked over to the couch and sat down, bringing her phone up, ready to capture this.

He laughed and followed her, kneeling on the floor in front of her between her knees. He opened his hands and laid them on the bump and closed his eyes. He stayed that way for a minute or two, then opened them and leaned forward, letting his forehead make light contact with her skin. He murmured words quietly that she could not make out, whispers and hums and soft chuckles.

He ended it all with a kiss on her belly and then looked up at her. “Um, do you think— I mean, would it be okay to take a picture for my mom?”

After watching him, Rangiku had to calm herself. She had to stop her heart from hammering. Her eyes burned and she had to sniffle several times to keep from sobbing. She had fucked up. She had fucked up so damn bad. Watching Shuhei talk to that bump - to their child - it made her heart ache so much. It made her want to reach out and hold him. She swallowed. They weren’t even to that level yet. They may never be to that level ever again. “Like of you and the bump? I can do that but… of us? I don’t know.”

He frowned a bit. She was this baby’s mother. She would always be a part of this. However, he could understand the sensitivity she may be feeling and nodded. “Whatever you feel comfortable with, Ran,” he answered with a tiny smile.

She sat up and took Shuhei’s face in her hands. She looked into his eyes, her eyes going back and forth, trying to remember each detail of them if she could. “Whatever I feel comfortable with may make you uncomfortable, Shu,” Rangiku said. “I don’t think your mom wants to see me in a photo. I did hurt her son.”

He smiled a bit awkwardly, cognizant of her hands on his face, which squished his expression somewhat. “She might be pissed at you or whatever, but you’re carrying her grandchild so she’s going to have to learn to suck it up,” he said with an equally awkward laugh.

Rangiku scooted forward just a couple more inches. She wanted to take that plunge and just press their mouths together, because he was making her heart pitter-patter and her stomach flutter. Instead, she stood and maneuvered her way around him. Again she was being dumb and seeing things that weren’t there. “I have a mirrored closet door in the other bedroom we can take a photo in.” 

He stood and turned to follow her. “Thanks, Ran.”

“Yeah, anything for you. Don’t mention it,” she said and turned the knob. She never got to this part of her tour for the YouTube video. Inside was a gray and white color scheme nursery. There was a crib with linens already on it. There was a changing table. There was a glider chair and a rug. It was crazy, but she wanted to be prepared for this kid. She pointed to the closet where there were mirrored doors. “I can stand to the side and show off the bump; hide my face or something so the photo can just focus on you two.”

“Okay,” he said. He didn’t waste any time getting his phone out of his pocket and taking the pictures. When he was done he took a step back and smiled at her, then let her see his eyes scan the room. “You’ve been busy, I see.”

“That happens when you’re bored and you have no one and nothing to do. I work. I sleep. I come in here and think about what I want it to look like.”

He smiled and turned away from her, throwing an arm over her shoulder and walking her out of the room. “It’s late. I should get out of your hair,” he said as they returned to the living room. “Call me if you need anything; day or night. Understand?”

“Sure, four am pickle runs, I can call you to go get them. Got it,” she said with a smile. “Or if I want your beef. The sandwiches, you know.”

He snorted. “Yeah that too,” he said and snorted again. He smiled at her. “Text me updates and ideas. We’ll go shopping for baby stuff. We’ll have lunch. We’ll become parents.”

Just like that, Rangiku’s face crumpled and she had to turn around quickly. That wasn’t co-parenting. Co-parenting was agreeing on what to do for the kid and making decisions jointly. He was talking about something else entirely. Did Shu not see the room she had ready for the baby? All she was waiting on was to find out what the baby was and finish decorating. 

She was having trouble breathing, feeling anxiety at the edge of her thoughts, gnawing away at them.

He  _ had _ noticed the room. He noticed the room and had tried his best not to ruin the moment with his reaction. He was angry. She had done all that without him. She had prepared and planned for this baby to near perfection without including him. It was why he had to leave. He could not stay there and pretend he was okay, and he did not want to throw away the progress they had made that evening. He sighed. 

“Don’t worry Ran. This is just the first step. We’re going to keep walking this path together and things will turn out alright.”

All she did was nod. “‘Kay. Got it,” she said in a tight voice. “I’ll--I’ll--I’ll call.”

“I’ll see you this week, Okay? Also I want you to come see the house. It’s nice and you haven’t had the tour.”

Again her chest had that squeezing sensation and Rangiku felt sick to her stomach. Just the idea of stepping foot into that house the first time had made her stomach twist. She had handled it well though. But he was talking like they were buddies and she just couldn’t. Taking a tour of the place? Knowing he had some other woman in it? No.

“Excuse me,” she said and bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

Shit. He heard her in there. He couldn’t leave now. Damn it. He walked back into the nursery she had assembled and took pictures. He was going to have to furnish one of his own at his house; may as well have some reference photos.

After he was done, he walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. “Everything okay in there?” he asked through the wooden barrier.

There was a yelp. Rangiku dropped her toothbrush into the sink. She had thought he had left. She rinsed her mouth out before turning the bathroom light off. She opened the door enough to reveal one eye and part of her face and looked at Shuhei. “I thought you would have left,” she mumbled.

“I’m not an asshole,” he said with a smile. “I wasn’t going to leave without making sure you were okay.”

“I’m not okay, Shu. I’m not okay but you should leave, because if you don’t, I’m going to do something really stupid, okay? I’m surviving,” she said and opened the door the rest of the way.

He pursed his lips and regarded her for a moment. “Surviving? Same,” he said, finally. “We’ll get through this hard part, okay? Have some faith.”


	61. Chapter 61

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It's EIV. We're approaching the end of B-Sides and I want to thank all of our readers for sticking by us. We meant to get this chapter out sooner but life happened. It was sad bitch hours for me and I couldn't get myself out of it for a bit to go through the chapter and help JKR edit it.
> 
> I just want to apologize for that! Thanks again for supporting us and reading our fics!

Rangiku looked at Orihime with a crushed look on her face. It was Friday. Orihime’s episode of Glowing Up Gifted would air in a couple of hours. Rangiku should have been excited for this. She should have been jumping up and down for this. She had gone all out to remake over the redhead. “He wants to co-parent and he wants to go baby shopping and be parents. I can’t… I miss him. I could feel myself--I almost embarrassed myself twice the other night,” the blonde said to the woman.

It was all Orihime could do not to roll her eyes, and she was glad that she had set up the DVR. She felt for the blonde, but Rangiku had made her own mess and was was not doing herself any favors with these thoughts, either. “Ran, you’re fine. You’re allowed to miss him and think things like that. You didn’t act on those thoughts. That’s good. Now, stop spazzing about him wanting to make preparations for the baby. It’s his kid too. He’s entitled to want to do some of the fun stuff.”

“Can’t he do it on his own?” she asked. Her expression bordered on tortured. Ran knew she was being dramatic. “I am an idiot.”

“I’m not going to argue. But if it bothers you so much, I will take him shopping. He probably offered for you to join so that you had time to connect as parents, but since that seems to make you want to go full-on freak out, I’m sure he’ll understand why you have to decline,” Orihime said. 

“The freak out came because he was talking about me seeing his house and all I could imagine was that woman in it and I died inside.” Ran told the other woman. “I know she’s been gone for a while but…”

“Oh for gods’ sakes, Ran, _Cassie_? Pfft. Please. It’s not like they lived together. They talked for a couple weeks and maybe hooked up a couple of times, but it was not a relationship. And, not to put too fine a point on it, you broke his heart and left him right before he bought that place. He flew back to Ohio and paid twenty grand for that dog just so he wouldn’t die of loneliness. And, need I remind your indiscretions? You had ended your relationship with him. You are being unreasonable.”

It fucking killed her to hear this. She knew what she had done. She _fucking_ knew. No one cared if she was lonely. The one time she had reached out to someone because of that feeling she was shot down. A deep frown settled on Rangiku’s face. This would never work between them. Orihime was right, Rangiku _was_ being unreasonable, but she was pregnant and the hormones were making her crazy today. 

Like a coward, she didn’t say anything about it. “Okay I guess I am. I think I need a nap, so I’m gonna head home.”

Orihime pursed her lips. “Okay. Drive home safely,” she said, turning off the television and walking the woman to the door. She wasn’t going to watch this show on her own.

Rangiku waved at the woman before she drove off their property. Shuhei was probably working today. She didn’t want to call Ichigo because of his weird pregnancy fetish. So far no one had noticed her figure. She had hidden it well. That’s the only reason Rangiku hadn’t called Bazz up. Byakuya was an automatic no; she hadn’t contacted him since their goodbye. She sighed.

She couldn’t handle it. “Call Shuhei,” she told her phone.

His phone lit up as he was assembling a crib in the room he designated for the baby. “Hello, Ran. Aren’t you with Orihime? Ulq said you two were doing a girl’s night and watching your show.”

“What are you doing?” she asked, ignoring his questions.

Demanding, wasn’t she? “I’m assembling furniture. What are you doing?”

“Driving. I’m in Malibu, coming west,” she replied 

“Isn’t west from Malibu the Pacific Ocean? I strongly advise you not drive into it,” he said with a snicker.

“I meant east! Don’t fluster me. I’m already flustered.” She huffed and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “I couldn’t stay with Orihime after she practically dismissed my thoughts and feelings and said I was being unreasonable.”

“Were you being unreasonable?” he asked with an open mind either way, at least in tone.

Rangiku went off, mimicking the woman’s voice. Her tone was bitchy. “Well ex-fucking-scuse me if I’m frustrated and haven’t hooked up with random people from the suburban mom’s club. I’m fucking lonely too. You don’t see me spending thousands of dollars on something to keep me company.”

“Do you have a point? Because if you do, it’s eluding me,” he said, sounding baffled.

Ugh. “I guess not.”

“You have a place now, why don’t you—oh, that’s right, you can’t touch cat shit.” Shuhei was thinking out loud.

“Oh, I could go visit Ash and drive Ichigo crazy. Sounds like a perfect way to spend my Friday night.”

Shuhei rolled his eyes. He knew Ichigo almost as well as his lovers did after being in a bus with him 24/7 for six months. He was all talk and no action. “Okay, sounds like you’re all sorted then. Tell Ivan I say hi.”

Her mouth dropped open. He was okay with this? “Do I sound like I want to waste brain cells on Ivanhoe? I’d much rather talk to Bazz while he’s half naked.”

“I don’t know why you and Ulq bag on Ivan so much. He’s an intelligent guy. Anyway, Ran, you want to go look at shirtless Mohawk man, have at it, I guess. I’m not here to police you.” He rolled his eyes. Did she really think that the way back into his heart way by subtly threatening to fuck other people? If so, she was sorely mistaken. He wasn’t going to enforce loyalty from her. If she didn’t want to give it freely, he didn’t need it.

He didn’t care. Great. Nice. She sighed. She wanted freedom, and look where she ended up. Miserable and lonely and aching for a guy who didn’t want her. Welcome to the b-side of the tape, she thought. The side with the songs no one wanted to listen to. And sure, he wouldn’t police her, but he would judge her. “Goodnight, Shuhei. Sorry to bother you from furniture assembly,” she said in a defeated tone.

“Goodnight, Ran,” he said. He considered leaving the line open, but he was not in the mood for her bratty game playing. He was never in the mood for it, to be honest. She was probably the only one who found it cute. If it made her happy to annoy people, she could go do it to someone else. At any rate, if they were going to raise a baby together, he had better not encourage behavior that he didn’t like _now_ , before the baby was born.

Thinking of the baby, she had called it Baby M. Sure, that’s what it was called on the doctor's paperwork, but he hoped he wasn’t going to have to fight her on giving the baby his name, because he would.

In the end, Rangiku called no one. She drove home. She laid in bed and she cried. Jugo called her and told her that they had to push everyone back a week and to take the next week off. 

This was wonderful; she had an entire week to sit around and think.

***

“How’re the baby preparations coming?” Orihime asked.

“They are good. You should see Ran’s nursery; it’s, like, ripped from the pages of a catalog. Mine is a bit more punk rock,” Shu replied.

Orihime chuckled, scratching Princess’ ears. “Maybe I’ll come over this week and check it out. How’s she doing, by the way?”

“Ran? I don’t know. She’s emotional; all over the place. She said she wanted to be with me like before and the next day said she was thinking of calling Ichigo or Bazz Black for a hookup. It feels like she’s just playing games again.”

Orihime offered a sympathetic sigh. “Yeah, she was in a state that night. I don’t know what to tell you, though. Maybe just wait for her to recollect herself and get back to you?”

“What would you do if it was Ulquiorra pulling this shit?”

A loud scoff and an incredulous laugh followed. “First of all, the world rejoices that Mr. Cifer is unable to get pregnant. He’d be a basket case. But if he was dangling seeing other people while trying to get back together with me, I would probably not take him seriously and write him off. Especially if he was the one to break it off in the first place, so… I mean, I know I have a low bullshit threshold at times, but honestly, the pile of shit I’ve navigated with my husband was no small hill. I don’t know what to tell you. Deal with it until you can’t?”

Shuhei rolled his eyes. “Real helpful, Heemz, thanks a lot,” he said sarcastically.

She laughed. “Sorry, I’ve never been the go-to person for advice; this is new to me, too. I’ll call you about seeing the nursery later in the week, Okay?”

Shuhei sighed. “Yeah, see ya.”

***

The week passed by slowly and Rangiku did her thing. She filmed Hailey's episode, making her look better than before. She walked around in her maxidresses and shopped. She would come home and lay in bed, watching concert footage of Shuhei from the shows he did with Vega Highwell. She would listen to his music, imagining that he was singing to her.

He didn’t sing to her now. That was certain. 

The episode aired and Jugo patted her on the back for a job well done. There was another check deposited into her account.

Sweetest Day came and went. It was another day for her while there were couples kissing and the ideas of relationships plastered everywhere. It was another holiday marketed for chocolate, stupid gifts, flowers, and lingerie. A year ago Rangiku would have been livid had she not gotten anything.

This Rangiku didn’t care. This Rangiku was busy looking over baby name books, making lists, and thinking. 

Thinking was fucking overrated.

She was stupid to even try and bait him. He probably thought she was some kind of slut. She was a fucking trainwreck. 

Shuhei didn’t want her.

Rangiku thought about cancelling her doctor’s visit or switching doctors to throw the man off. He’d probably come to her house. Come to think of it, how the fuck had he gotten the address? The only person who knew her address was Jon--Nevermind. The third biggest gossip whore in Los Angeles had given it to him.

Fuck Ulquiorra Cifer.

And you know what? 

Fuck his wife too. 

She wasn’t pregnant when she was fucking Gin. She wasn’t with Shuhei or pregnant when she had sex with Robert. 

Fuck everyone in her life. 

Rangiku Matsumoto didn’t need anyone in her life. She could do this on her own. She had been doing it on her own.

She decided to text Shuhei, knowing what she was going to say would probably set him off but she didn’t care.

  * You can come to the appointment with me but you’re not going back to the exam room. Sorry. I don’t feel comfortable with that.



He got the text. He saw red. He called.

“Yes?” Rangiku answered.

His tone was deceptively calm. “Is this your move? This is how you want to play it?”

She glanced around her bedroom before she answered. “I’m sorry. You’re the one who said whatever I was comfortable with. I don’t--I’m not playing anything, Shuhei. Co-parenting is a business relationship.”

“Actually it isn’t. No financial transactions - the definitive markers of a business relationship - are taking place. I’m not Gin. And the “whatever you’re comfortable with” comment was specific to a baby bump picture, not carte blanche to dictate terms and deny me access to my child,” he gave a mocking laugh. “You said you wanted to get back together the other night. You have either a funny way of showing it or split personality.”

“No, it’s called I was jumping ahead of myself again. It’s called I was seeing stuff that wasn’t there again. I was making connections that I had no business making. You don’t want me. You don’t trust me. You have a good reason not to, Shuhei - after all, I left you. I betrayed you. I hurt you,” she stated. Rangiku sighed. “I’m not denying you access to the baby. I’m denying you access to me. I feel too much for you. Seeing you smile or laugh or cry... it does things to my heart that I don’t deserve to feel for you.”

“Grow the fuck up, Ran. It’s not just about you anymore. And are you going to continue to put words in my mouth and tell me how I feel? Because this is not going to be a good thing if you persist.”

He didn’t get it. He totally did not get it. At any point in time she could fucking crack and this all would fall apart. Wasn’t her mental and emotional state something important? It wasn’t just about her physical health. If she went crazy… “I am grown. I’m looking out for myself, Mister Hisagi.”

“I see, Miss Matsumoto. I’m looking out for _our_ child. Goodbye.” He hung up. His finger hovered over the number for his lawyer, but he hesitated. Maybe she would cool off. Maybe not. But if she insisted on continuing the path she was threatening, things were going to get really ugly, really fast. 

He wanted a drink. He wanted his mom. He wanted a fucking punching bag, because that’s how pissed off he was right now. He was still a member of that gym in Malibu. He could go blow off some steam there, he decided, getting into his car and driving off.

Rangiku made plans of her own. She’d go to this appointment tomorrow then she would fly to New York City. She needed to talk to her parents. She needed a change of pace. She just needed something.

Monday came around and she sat in her car, looking at the building of the doctor’s office. Would Shuhei show up? She would find out. She got out of the car, wearing the same dress she had worn when she went to see Ichigo. She had on Shuhei’s earrings. Her abdomen was more rounded and it was clear that she was pregnant. 

Did she care there were a group of cameras across the street, having coffee and breakfast?

Not really.

She walked up to the building and sat down out front. She still had fifteen minutes before she even had to check in.

Shuhei had been in the waiting room since ten in the morning. Those camera people across the street had taken pictures and chased him into the building, asking what he was doing there. “Prenatal appointment,” was all he said. He didn’t care if the world knew. He wanted it to know.

When Rangiku walked into the waiting room, he glanced up at her. He sat in an uncomfortable chair in a defensive posture, arms crossed over his abdomen and legs crossed, facing away from the door. He didn’t say anything to her.

Rangiku gave her name and then went to sit down beside Shuhei. While outside she had done some thinking. She had to give him a chance. She had to give them a chance. She had to be grown up about this. Throwing fits and blocking him out of her life wasn’t being a grown up. She reached over and put a hand on his knee and squeezed it before crossing her own legs and then turning her attention to her phone. Already people were going nuts with the images of her. “Glad to see I’ve made people’s day,” she muttered.

“Mmhmm,” he replied. He didn’t know what she was up to or if she was going to have him thrown out of this clinic. She had proven herself to be completely unpredictable. “You shouldn’t cross your legs; it’s bad for your circulation,” he mumbled after glancing at them. He’d been reading the baby books.

She automatically uncrossed them. She kept her attention focused on her phone. “I’m going to New York after this.”

“Today?” He had to focus on not panicking. Was she going to flee? No, she had a job and a life here. She wouldn’t be _that_ reckless, would she? After a deep breath, he added, “When are you coming back?”

“Yeah, today. I’ll be there a couple of days, depending on my parents’ reaction to our baby. If they take it okay, I’ll spend some time with them. If their reaction is poor, I’ll do some shopping and then come home,” Rangiku commented. She was just scrolling through a site without reading what was on the page. Her attention was focused on him.

He exhaled for what felt like a long time. “Yeah, telling my mom was nerve-wracking,” he said, looking up to her chest. 

The realization came to him like a punch in the face. _Shit. Shit. Shit._ Maybe he needed to man up a bit. “Did you want me to come with you?” 

Her head came up and she turned to look at him. “Do--do--do you want to? I mean...Do you want to?” Ugh. That wasn’t what she wanted to say. Her mouth just kept getting her in trouble. “We could stop in Ohio?”

Oh fucking hell. She had just said the magic fucking words, hadn’t she? He shook his head, trying to cast off images of family Christmases with Shelly and Rich. “Yeah, I think it’s for the best,” he said.

“Okay, I’ll change my flight. Do you want first class? Because I’m not sitting in coach,” Rangiku said with a smile. “We can sit together, if you--”

“Matsumoto?” A nurse called out her name.

Rangiku turned and sighed before standing up. “Are you coming with me?” she asked, looking down at Shuhei.

He blew out a loud breath and nodded. “Yes and yes,” he said before standing and smiling at her.

The blonde woman blushed and nodded. She grabbed Shuhei’s hand and pulled him towards the door. The nurse took her weight and then led them towards a room. When the door was shut and Rangiku was sitting on the exam table, she said, “I’m sorry about before. Hormones and stuff. I really wasn’t thinking.”

He gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded. “I understand that feelings are strained at the moment. Me too. This is scary and a big deal. Can you try to keep in mind-and I will too-that we’re both on the same side? I’m still the same guy, Ran.”

He was the same guy. He was still the same man she had fallen for in August. Nothing about Shuhei had changed except he was a name now. He had money now. He had his own place and car and dog. He still had her attention and heart. Rangiku made another decision.

She slid off that table and walked over to him, sliding her arms around his neck. She was probably going to get rejected, but Rangiku pressed her body against him and kissed him lightly. There was a tenderness there, at least on her end, that she hadn’t felt in a long time. That first kiss in that motel room might have been something comparable. 

Then she took a step back. She wasn’t going to apologize to him for it. It’s what she wanted.

It was just one punch in the face after another today. His heart pounded as he looked at her. His eyes searched hers and his breath stuttered. He still loved her. And now, standing in front of him, full of the life they created together, he was overwhelmed by relief and affection. He closed that step between them and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply, feeling like a man who had held his breath too long underwater and she was his oxygen mask.

She stiffened for a moment before melting in his hands. She was weak for Shuhei. Rangiku pulled back to look into his eyes only to kiss him again. She would have pushed him against the wall and continued to kiss him, had they not been interrupted by the nurse and doctor coming in.

“Okay Miss Matsu--Oh! Oh, okay.” An older male doctor said eyeing the two. “Um, hello. I’m Doctor Lewis. Are you Dad?”

“I am. Shuhei Hisagi,” he introduced himself to the doctor, shaking his hand.

“Nice, my wife loves your stuff,” the doctor said. He smiled at the man and then motioned for Rangiku to get on the exam table. “Okay, so today is week...twenty. We’re getting measured, listening to Baby M’s heartbeat and answering questions. Then the ultrasound! Oh, blood work for you too. Your fatigue should have lightened up a bit so we’ll give you a gamut of tests and see if you need more vitamins.”

Rangiku nodded and got back on the table. She unfolded the paper sheet and put it across her lap and laid down. She was well versed in these appointments by now. The nurse helped her pull her dress up.

“Any problems so far?”

“Um, I got kind of emotional a couple weeks ago. The heartburn is bad,” Rangiku answered. “Still tired. I sleep a lot. I have muscle cramps.”

The doctor nodded while the nurse wrote something down. “Have you been keeping up with the exercises? What about pregnancy massages? You need to keep your stress down, Rangiku. I’m sure Dad would love to help, right?”

“I’m sure. Is there some kind of print out, or pamphlet or something for that?” Shuhei asked, somewhat embarrassed.

“Absolutely, we’ll give you guys some information when you get out of here. Okay,” Dr. Lewis said and the nurse handed him a paper tape measure. He felt around Rangiku’s belly, making her wince and frown. “Between twenty and twenty-one weeks. We’re still on for a March birthday party for the baby. Now heartbeat time.”

Again the doctor and his instrument made Rangiku squirm but eventually he got the baby’s heartbeat. “One-fifties,” Dr. Lewis said.

“Is that good?” Rangiku asked.

“It’s a heartbeat. Time to wipe off and Misha will take you down the hall to the ultrasound tech when you’re ready. Do you have any questions?”

Rangiku bit her lip and nodded. “Can I fly?”

“As a human? No, but we have great things called planes,” the doctor said smiling. “You’re fine to fly up until thirty five weeks. I’ll see you around month six. Have a good one; nice to meet you Dad!”

The nurse and the doctor left and Rangiku sat up, wiping the gel off her stomach. She looked at Shuhei. 

He squeezed her hand and smiled. “So far so good?”

“I guess. Every appointment I’ve been to has been like that though. In and out; he’s funny,” she said. Rangiku took the opportunity to use his hand to stabilize herself as she got off the table again. Another blush settled on her face as she pulled the dress down over her stomach, hips and thighs. Letting him in and giving Shuhei a chance was easier than fighting him and herself on everything. “Ready to meet your baby?”

“Yes. No. Is anyone ever ready for that?” he asked. He was nervous for sure.

She smiled at him and grabbed her bag, “C’mon scaredy cat,” she said. Once the nurse had them in the ultrasound room and Rangiku was laying on another table with another paper sheet over her, she studied Shuhei. He didn’t look as stressed today, but there was still that tension around his eyes. She had been stupid for kissing him. They were supposed to be working together for the baby.

He was busy taking everything in. He stood beside Rangiku’s shoulders and kept an eye on the technician, silently and instinctively watching for any sign of threat to his child and its mother. He felt very vulnerable, and felt that Rangiku in her current horizontal position was particularly exposed. It made him feel uneasy. Without thinking, he raised a hand to her shoulder, squeezing and holding on.

“You okay?” she asked. “They’re just going to show us some pictures of what’s inside the bump.”

“If it’s just pizza and cheese curls, I’m going to be very disappointed,” he joked lamely. He looked at her then, letting her see a glimpse of how much he felt was riding on all this, and said, “I just want to have everything be alright and for us to get out of here and have lunch or something.”

Just that look; just that glance; just that moment of fragility pulled on her heart. Rangiku bent her finger and wiggled it, beckoning him closer. “It’s Flaming Hot Cheetos I eat in bed, and everything will be fine Shuhei. If we work--If I work for this… We’re in this together. I don’t want anyone but you.”

He looked at her for a long moment, really looked at her, and said nothing. He let her words knock around his brain for a bit. “Same,” he said softly after the reflection had passed.

The door opened and in walked another young woman. “Hi! I’m Steph! We’re going to be looking at baby M today, right? Oh! You’re Shuhei Hisagi! Dude!”

“Dude back atcha!” He replied, smiling in Steph’s direction, then glanced back at Rangiku with a small eyeroll and a smirk.

Rangiku laughed. “Yeah, we’re looking at the baby today, and I kind of want to know what we’re having. Do you Shu?”

“Yes!” he replied quickly. “I am here for this!”

The tech nodded and sat down at the machine. Goop was squirted onto Rangiku’s belly. The imaging wand was pressed to her skin. There were images popping up, but they were fuzzy. “Okay, let’s see. I’m going to take some measurements and then we’ll get pics.”

Shuhei’s eyes were straining as he looked at the monitor. The hand on Rangiku’s shoulder had navigated to the back of her neck, his thumb stroking the skin mindlessly, getting up into her hair and back down.

That little touch sent shivers down her spine. Rangiku was enjoying it. She was watching the monitor too, feeling more at ease than she had been in a while.

“Hmph. This one doesn’t want to get her butt out of the way,” Steph muttered. “C’mon, turn for me.” The wand on her stomach was moved to a different spot and then the tech made more hums and typed something into the machine. It all took less than fifteen minutes. “Okay, so you’re having a girl.”

Rangiku’s eyes went wide and she stared at the man beside her before her attention was focused back onto the screen. She had no clue what she was looking at, but the tech was pointing things out.

Shuhei was awestruck. “A girl…” he said as his eyes followed the tech’s line of sight. “How do you know?” he asked after not being able to figure it out.

“Here’s a leg. Here’s her other leg. There’s a smile in the middle. Usually with boys it’s apparent that there’s male genitals.”

“How does she look? Can we see her face?” he asked next.

“Well, you’re not scheduled for a 3D scan until month six, but I can try to get her face,” Steph said and then started moving the wand again. Of course the baby moved.

Rangiku could feel it. She could feel the little kicks and things inside her, but seeing it made it stranger. “I get to buy all the pretty stuff and everything!”

Shuhei rolled his eyes fondly. “You don’t have to enforce gender stereotypes so early, but have at it, Ran,” he said with a chuckle. 

“I will buy her trucks and I will buy dolls. She will learn how to do stuff and not be… She’ll know how to do stuff. But I’m not trying to enforce stereotypes. I’m just excited.” Rangiku smiled at him before she stuck her tongue out at Shuhei.

“Okay, here is her face. This is the eye, this is the nose and the mouth is down here. Oh! She’s sucking her thumb it looks like. Sometimes that’s normal. Or she has her hand near her face,” the woman working the machine said.

Shuhei felt his sinuses prick. It still wasn’t totally real to him, but it was a lot closer. “She’s beautiful,” he whispered as he bent over and kissed Rangiku’s forehead.

Rangiku hugged him and started crying. She was ruining her makeup and she didn’t care. “We made her beautiful,” she murmured. “She has pretty parents.”

“Hopefully she has more humility than us,” he responded, his laugh hiccuping. He was happy at that moment.

The tech smiled at them and printed out some of the screen shots she had taken for the two. She helped wipe off Rangiku’s belly. “Okay, when you’re done, come check out!”

“Help me up?” Rangiku said, balling up that paper sheet and throwing it behind her on the exam table as she tried to roll to one side.

He hooked his hands under her arms and hoisted her off the table, then pulled her body into his. He held her for a long time. “After lunch, do you want to go rub this in couple goals’ faces?” he murmured into her ear.

“Mmmm, do you want to?” She asked, a little breathless. The way his breath felt against her ear had her shifting her stance and squirming, wiggling her hips a bit. She moved away from Shu and smoothed her clothes back down.

“Well, I would suggest a social media announcement, but seeing as though your parents don’t know, it might be insensitive. I want to brag about our beautiful girl to someone, though,” he said and then backed up to gauge her reaction. 

“Shu, my parents disowned me. They deserve to know that they have a grandchild, but if they can’t accept this, then...” Rangiku shook her head. “I don’t know why I try with them. Nothing I’ve done has ever been good enough.”

“You know you can’t please everyone. That applies to parents too. I never met my dad. I assume he’s still alive, and I mean, not to brag, but I’m pretty famous now. We have the same frickin’ name. The only reason I can think of why he hasn’t reached out is because he doesn’t care at all.”

She nodded. She knew her parents didn’t care. “We could skip the whole NYC thing and just visit your mom. I can send them an email about the baby. I need to get out of this town, though, for a couple of days.”

“It’s up to you, but I think we should do this the proper way and tell them face to face. If they reject it, then we’ve done our part and do not need to feel that we owe them anything. But like I said, it’s your family; it’s your decision.”

Rangiku’s arms encircled his neck again and she looked up at him. “So uh, I’m going to drive to my house and you can follow behind me and then you can take me out and show me off? Does that sound okay?”

“It’s a plan,” he said, smiling down at her.


	62. Chapter 62

"Hey guys, welcome back to my channel. I'm Mila Rose. Today a huge bombshell dropped. Shuhei Hisagi was spotted at a prominent Beverly Hills' OB office today. Following shortly behind him was Rangiku Matsumoto. The statement that he gave the people out front was he was there for a prenatal appointment."

"We know at one point in time these two were a couple. Maybe? They were seen together several times between August of last year and June of this year. There were rumors of them living together and visiting friends. Anyway, after June hit, we saw Mr. Hisagi with a new brunette that looked like his previous girlfriend from Ohio."

"It was apparent that Hisagi could have had a type then. She was out when Ulquiorra Cifer, aka ObscurasIV, pushed the bitch into a pool and yelled at the man about Matsumoto.”

“Drama.”

“Hush, Apacchi. Anyway I guess we found out today why they broke up, but they left that doctor’s office looking very much in love. Rangiku looks to be… eh… four or five months pregnant. I have no clue. I’m not a doctor. She could be wearing one of those fake baby--”

Rangiku sighed and closed the app on her phone. “God this is trash,” she said as they waited for their Uber. New York City wasn’t a pleasant place for her, so she wasn’t looking around like Shuhei was. “Mila is trash.”

“You sound like Ulq,” he laughed. “But you’re right.”

She gave him a stern look. “Did you call your mom? I’ve already made a reservation for the hotel in Ohio for me. I didn’t make you one because… you can stay with your mom. If my parents welcome me back we’ll need to find a hotel to stay at.”

“You might be surprised; I might need a hotel room in Ohio. My mom’s place is tiny.”

“Oh. Well… I got a double queen, you can take the other bed,” she said the blush on her face adding color. She could blame it on the chilliness.

“Slumber party!” he said, grinning at her, putting his hand on her back, and opening the door of the car after it pulled up. “Ladies first.”

She smiled at him and got inside, putting her bag on the floor of the car. She didn’t pack much, just a weekend bag. It would take them about thirty minutes to get from the airport to her hometown. 

Rangiku didn’t know why her parents didn’t move to Jersey. Probably because they were smart and their house was already paid off. With the price of the homes surrounding her childhood home, it was an investment. Once Shuhei was inside the vehicle, she grabbed his hand and put her fingers between his. “You’re sweet, you know that?” 

“You think?” he said, looking at their joined hands. “What makes you say that?”

“Because you are?” Rangiku offered. “You let me fall asleep on your shoulder on the plane. You’ve been kissing me. I’m not complaining.”

The man blushed. “So how long is the drive?”

“About thirty minutes, maybe more. Why? Have to find your courage?”

“I’m resolved to the idea that they’re going to hate me. If they don’t, bonus.”

Rangiku didn’t say anything. She knew how her mom was. Her father might nod at Shuhei but her mother would ignore him. A sigh left her as they rode along. With traffic it took around forty minutes when the Uber driver pulled up to a rather plain white house with a walnut door. The blonde pursed her lips and grabbed her bag before getting out. “Home sweet home,” she muttered, waiting for Shuhei.

“I guess I expected something yuppier,” he said with a small laugh after he reached her side. “What do they do again?”

“My mom is some kind of researcher and my dad is a calculus professor.”

“Oh,” he said, taking her hand again. “Shall we?”

Rangiku nodded and took a deep breath before going up the few steps to the porch. She knocked on the door. She saw white blonde hair through the window. Her mother opened the door, looked at her and then slammed it. “Well,” Rangiku said softly. 

“Well, bullshit,” Shu growled, his face twisted into disapproval. He moved Rangiku gently to the side and raised his fist to the door.  _ BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG! _ the five raps rang out in quick succession. “DELIVERY FOR A MRS. MATSUMOTO!” he shouted in a weird, New-Yorky kind of accent.

“Shu!” Rangiku hissed. She could see a darker form coming to the door. 

A middle-aged Japanese man opened the door this time. He took off his glasses and sighed. “Rangiku, what is the meaning of this?” her father asked. “Why is this man pounding on the door?”

“The meaning of it is that your dear wife has slammed the door in your daughter’s face. I have come to inform you that I have knocked her up. If you would like more information, I would be glad to provide it, otherwise we will be on our way and you two can go fuck yourselves,” he said calmly.

Dark eyes moved between the two standing on his doorstep. “Let me get my coat. Do you two have a car?”

“No, Dad. We took an Uber from the airport.”

The man shook his head and then disappeared inside. There were sharp words and the man came back out with a coat on and keys jingling. “Come. We will go somewhere and speak. I’m Kentaro Matsumoto. You must be this Mister Hisagi I saw on the news section today. I appreciate someone who can and will speak their mind.”

“I am. It’s a pleasure, Mr. Matsumoto,” he said with a nod and then looked at Rangiku with a  _ holy-shit-it-worked _ kind of smile.

Rangiku looked at her father and then Shuhei. The two of them followed her dad to a modest sedan and she climbed into the backseat, leaving Shuhei to get up front with her dad. When they were driving away from the house, Rangiku decided to break the silence. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Why?” Kentaro said. 

“Because of everything? Lying to you and Ma? Not… being good?” Rangiku didn’t know why, she was just sorry.

“You’re famous. Your mother did not want to find out her daughter was on television like that. You could have called,” the older man said. “You made her believe you worked as a secretary.”

Rangiku sighed. “I mean… I did work… for a guy...” Her words got softer with each one. “Anyway, um...”

“Say what you mean, Rangiku. I’ve always taught you to speak your mind. I’ve always listened to your opinion, even if your mother didn’t. Have you two eaten? There is this great sushi place nearby.”

“I can’t eat sushi, Dad. Pregnant.” 

“That is true then?”

“Yes, it’s very true. The baby is due in March,” Shuhei said.

Kentaro shook his head. “That happened with me and your mother. One drunk night in Tokyo,” he said.

“What?” Rangiku asked.

“Yes, one drunk night in Tokyo. I chased her while she was in the city. Enough about me,” her father said. He had a stern look on his face. “You’re a good man to her?” he asked Shuhei. 

“Dad!”

“Actually, not really,” Shuhei said. “We broke up when… back in spring? No. Summer. Right before I bought my house. I was too busy nursing a busted ego and a broken heart to notice what she was going through,” he said. He was laying it on a bit thick; he didn’t think he had been horrible, given the circumstances. He had been well within his rights to be butthurt. But he didn’t like how Rangiku thought her parents thought poorly of her. He was going to talk her up.

“I left him because I’m an idiot. Other than that he’s been a great person, Dad.” Rangiku wasn’t going to let Shuhei badmouth himself to her parents. He hadn’t been the one who screwed up.

“What I am taking from this is my daughter made a bad decision and you were dealing with it. That’s love for you. You learn.” Kentaro nodded as he pulled into the sushi place. “We eat here. Minka doesn’t like sushi. They have noodles and cooked things.”

“You sound like you speak from experience, Mr. Matsumoto,” Shuhei said, hoping he would elaborate.

After the car was shut off, Kentaro nodded. “I work at a university; lots of beautiful young people. Young adults. I had an older undergrad student come onto me and I betrayed Minka. She almost left with Rangiku,” he said and looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror. “Minka has never been very open with her… emotions. Closed off.”

Rangiku’s forehead wrinkled as she listened to her father. Her parents had never said anything about this. Not one damn word. She swallowed and looked down at her lap. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Shuhei couldn’t argue. He felt awkward, and he couldn’t really sympathize. He had never cheated on a girlfriend before. His mother would have kicked his ass. He’d dumped one girl for another, but he never carried on with someone else when he was in an arrangement with someone. He decided this might be something that father and daughter might want to discuss privately. “I’ll go in and request a table; you two take your time,” he said, squinting his eyes in a friendly expression before getting out of the car.

Rangiku followed Shuhei. She didn’t want to talk to her dad about this. It wasn’t her business. Kentaro also got out of the car. 

“You did a good job, Rangiku. You look happy with him. Come, we’ll eat and then talk. I’ll drive you guys to a hotel if you have one.” Her father led the way into the restaurant.

The woman looked at Shuhei before holding his hand. “Shu,” she said.

He gripped her hand. “Yes?”

“Thank you for coming with me,” Rangiku said.

He picked up her hand and kissed it. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything, Ran. Let’s eat.”

***

Two hours later, Rangiku had her father drop them off at The Andrew Hotel. She had booked a deluxe king room for herself. She assumed Shuhei had made arrangements. When she realized he hadn’t, she stood at the check-in counter asking if she could have a double room. 

The clerk wasn’t helpful at all. “We’re all booked, sorry Miss Matsumoto.”

Rangiku groaned. “That’s Shuhei Hisagi, you know… the next big thing? You’re going to deny him a room?”

“Miss, we don’t have anything; you came into town during some convention. Most of the hotels in the area are booked.”

She walked over to where Shu was standing and looked at him. “Um, want to share a room?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said with a laugh and shook his head. “It’s nothing new for us anyway.”

“Yeah but it’s one bed.”

“Oh come on Ran, are you afraid that someone is going to tell on us? I can behave myself. I’m pretty tired, anyway.”

She gave him an unimpressed stare. “What if I can’t behave myself?” she asked before turning and walking to the elevator. The room was on the second floor.

He watched her move as she walked. He wouldn’t mind it if she couldn’t behave, in the short-term, anyway. He was a bit nervous that it could blow everything up, though. His mind drifted to his last studio session. He couldn’t sing  _ Thinking is Overrated _ . He still couldn’t. “I’d like the opportunity to talk with you in a relaxed setting,” he said softly as he joined her in the elevator.

Glancing at him, Rangiku nodded. “I’d like that too. After a shower because ew, airplane hair and today has been… trying. Happy but trying.”

“You’re happy?” he asked suddenly, his brows shooting up and his face whipping toward her. He had thought this had been torture for her.

“Duh,” she said, eyeing him. “I’m happy you’re with me for this. I’m happy that you’re touching me and kissing me. I’m happy, Shu.”

“Aww, Ran,” he said in an aggressive sort of tease, trapping her head with her elbow and pulling it to him. “You are such a softie.” He kissed the top of her head and relaxed the hold, but didn’t let go.

She shook her head, staring up at him. “Are you happy?”

“I’m still a bit unsure. Not about the baby. Not about where we’re at right now, it’s just… It’s so surreal still. And I haven’t spoken face to face with my mom yet. And… It’s still so new, to me, at least… I just, I think I’m cautiously optimistic and I think we’re doing the right thing. I just don’t know if we’re doing things too fast or in the right order or what.” He looked at her with wide eyes that conveyed the fact that all of this confused him. “I don’t want to screw anything up.”

“My big dorky bunny,” Rangiku said, leaning forward to kiss his chin. It was what she could reach with how she was being restrained. “Same though.”

The elevator doors opened to their floor and Rangiku slowly untangled herself from him. “C’mon. Room 200.”

“A nice, even number,” he said, leading the way down the hall. “So, I have to ask you something.”

“Yeah?” she said, looking at the room numbers and finally stopping in front of room 200. She slid the keycard through the lock and it beeped. She was impressed when she walked in.

“Yep,” he said, stepping out of his shoes and going to sit on the edge of the bed. “I want to ask you, and then let you think about it while you take your shower, okay?”

Rangiku removed her high heeled boots and sat down in the chair in the room. She set her bag on the floor and focused her attention on him. “Okay, ask me.”

“Do you want to date? Like, go steady kind of date?”

“Is that what you want?”

“I want to try it. I don’t want to waste the time we have before the baby comes to reconnect. I don’t want to rush into anything too serious too fast… I mean, having a baby together is serious, but I digress. I don’t want it to feel like we are trying to push ourselves together because of the baby. I want to see if we can do it naturally. But, at the same time, I want to remove some of the uncertainty. I don’t want to worry about you dating other people and I don’t want you to worry about me doing it. This will be us giving it our best shot, that’s if you’re in, of course.” He took a deep breath and exhaled audibly, hoping he had sufficiently explained what he meant.

Rangiku stood up and walked over to Shuhei. “I didn’t call anyone that night. I went home. I wanted you, not anyone else, Shuhei. I don’t have to think about what you just said. The answer is yes. I’m tired of being alone and I don’t want anyone else. I’m done playing games.”

“There’s one more thing, Ran. I’d like to keep it rated PG-13 for a bit. I know how I get. You know how I get. Sex makes me say crazy shit. I don’t want to spout off and say stuff that seems premature or… Or… Or whatever. Also, it might seem lame, but I want to keep our separate places and have to make the effort to visit each other and make it something of a courtship… Not a midnight motel hookup.”

Oh. She smiled at him and then turned back to her bag to rummage through it. She got out her bag of toiletries and then shoved the lingerie she had brought to the side. She wasn’t going to need that now. “Sure. I like my place anyway. It’s decorated  _ my  _ way and I’m comfortable there. Also, my rent is paid up until I decide whether to buy it in a couple of months. It’d be silly to lose all that money,” she said.

Half of Shuhei’s mouth pulled up into a dreamy, thoughtful kind of smile. “I have an idea about that… It’s probably just a pipe dream but… I dunno.”

“An idea about what?” She asked, straightening up and turning around to look at him.

“It’s just an idea. I just had it right now, so it doesn’t mean anything other than that, but… I told Orihime that your place looks like it was ripped out of the pages of a catalog. That led me to thinking, maybe if everything works out and you move in with me you can keep your place to use as a studio or something to record your shows in? I don’t know if that’s stupid or what, but… It’s an idea.”

“Did she sleep in your house?”

“Who?” He looked like he really didn’t know who she was talking about.

“The woman Ulquiorra pushed into the pool. Did she sleep in your house? Did she sleep in your bed?”

“Yeah, a couple times, I think. She worked for a couple down the street. She got fired, luckily, after the thing about the party got plastered all over the internet.”

Rangiku nodded and then walked over to the bathroom door. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said.

He waited until she was in there with the door closed to roll his eyes. She was no saint. He got changed into a fresh pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt and climbed into bed. Maybe it would be best if he was asleep when she got back out.

The blonde took a long shower. She stood there and thought about it as she shampooed her hair and worked conditioner into the strands. It hurt, but Shuhei had every right to do what he did. She knew it. She shouldn’t have been surprised. He slept with that person in Chicago. She had made this bed and now she had to lie in it and it was all her own fault. She couldn’t help but sniffle.

If he wanted to keep it PG-13, he was going to be in for a ride. Rangiku could make him want her but she didn’t want to stoop to that. They’d hold hands. She would kiss him on the cheek. That’d be it. 

Nothing more. Nothing less.

She got out of the shower and used both towels the hotel provided. Tomorrow before they left for Ohio, she’d book another room for herself. She didn’t want or have the damn energy to keep her hands to herself. It had been months since she had an orgasm or been with anyone. 

It would drive her fucking crazy laying next to him tonight.

She could go back to the airport and sleep there. Shuhei would probably be pissy about it. She groaned at herself.

She shouldn’t be thinking about this. The idea of co-parenting felt like a business relationship to her. They were business partners. Flipping off the bathroom light as she left the room she walked into the bed area and got the pajamas she brought. She didn’t even spare Shuhei a glance as she put on the sweatshirt and shorts. When she turned back to the bed, he was asleep.

It figured.

Oh well. She climbed on top of the blankets, arranging the pillows so she would be comfortable. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep.

He heard her breathing even out and he rolled over to watch her as she slept in the near non-existent light of the room. He still felt so afraid. There was so much riding on this. He wanted it to work so badly, but he just did not trust her. Not yet, anyway. Still, if there was any chance in hell they could make this work, he was going to have to make a good faith effort to building trust with her.

He took a deep, shaky breath and reached his palm out to rest on her back. He knew what he wanted to sing to her. It wasn’t anything about thinking being overrated. It was about patience. Very, very softly, he barely breathed the lyrics, hoping that somehow she’d understand:

_ Said woman take it slow, and it'll work itself out fine _

_ All we need is just a little patience _

_ Said sugar make it slow and we'll come together fine _

_ All we need is just a little patience _

Rangiku rolled onto her back and mumbled something. It kind of sounded like she had said, “I love you”.

***

Shuhei got the keys for the rental car and went to the lot to get it, letting Rangiku wait at the office for him to pick her up. It was not exactly the car he had in mind.

A minivan. A conservative dark blue minivan.

“Lord,” Shuhei said as he climbed into the driver’s seat. He drove over to the office and rolled down the passenger side window to yell at Rangiku, “Hey lady, got your soccer-mom car here!”

Her face looked horrified. Oh hell no! She was pregnant and it was only one kid. She didn’t need a minivan! It was this or get her own car from somewhere. “You wish, mister,” she said as she got in and reached back to put her bag on the floor behind the front seats. “Never will I drive a van.”

“Never say never, Ran,” he said, tilting his head toward her before breaking out into song using a poor Russian accent, “ _ Never, say never, whatever, you do-- _ ”

She rolled her eyes. “How many kids are you planning on me popping out?”

He flashed his brows at her and said, “How many do you think you can handle, baby?” He laughed afterward. They were PG-13. It didn’t mean he couldn’t flirt with her.

“Violet is the only one I can handle.”

“Violet, huh?” he looked forward and started driving. “Daisy going to need a sister?” Okay, that was a joke. Daisy was a name for ducks and cows.

“I could name her Pink, since it’s your favorite color,” Rangiku teased back. She smiled and looked out the window.

“Ew, god, no! Might as well name her Vagina at that point. Specifically, “Your Mom’s Vagina”. I think CPS might come to the hospital and take her away.”

Rangiku scowled at him. “Violet Matsumoto has a nice ring to it,” she said. “Unless you want her to have your name.”

“I do. I don’t love Violet Hisagi, though. Sounds weird. We could hyphenate.”

She shook her blonde head. “No, because that leads to mispronounced names and long school forms. My last name is long,” Rangiku replied. “If we’re not going with Matsumoto, then her name can’t be Violet. I don’t want to give her a Japanese name.”

“To be honest, besides the very unlikely concentration of Japanese names in our circle, I don’t really know any. You like flower names though? I think they’re cute.”

“No, not really. I was browsing one of those baby name books and it kind of stuck out at me. I have an entire list of names that I like the sound of. Beatrice Hisagi.”

“Veto. She’s not on The Golden Girls. Do you have a list on your phone or something? This might be a fun way to kill time while I drive.”

Rangiku smiled at him. She fished her phone out of her purse and brought up her notes. “There are about one hundred names on this list. Are you ready?”

“Lay it on me!” he said with a grin.

So she went through the names and it frustrated her. He vetoed the names she liked the most. There were names she wasn’t in love with on this list, but she needed a good sampling. Violet Matsumoto sounded like music to her ears. However, since he wanted the baby to have his name, she couldn’t use Violet. Actually anything with a V didn’t go well with Hisagi. 

He tried not to sigh. Her taste in names was very much like her taste in interior decorating; nice, but not his. Based upon her suggestions alone he did not dare suggest one of his own. When she got to the end of the list, he said, “Well, Norah Hisagi isn’t bad…”

“You don’t like any of them! I can read your face,” Rangiku said with a pout. “Your mouth does this thing when you don’t like something. Or your forehead wrinkles just slightly. You hate my ideas.”

“I don’t hate them, Ran, I just don’t love them,” he said apologetically.

“Fine, give me a name. Wait. We both can pick a name. But since we’re giving her your last name, I get to pick the first name.”

He sighed. “What?” She was giving him too many conflicting options.

“A middle name! First name, middle name Hisagi!” God he could be infuriating sometimes. “I get to give her her first name, but if you totally don’t love it, then we can talk it over.”

“Deal.” At this point he was feeling a bit hen pecked and gave up.

Great. She shook her head and looked out the window. The rolling scenery and the silence in the car lulled her to sleep. 

“Ran, Rangiku, wake up. We’re here.” Shuhei was rubbing her arm.

She sat up and almost strangled herself on the seatbelt. “What?” she said, turning towards him. “Where are we?”

“My mom’s,” he said, looking at the shabby, but clean, multi-unit building.

Rangiku rubbed her eyes and then blinked. Oh. “This is a nice place,” she said as she got out of the van. 

Shuhei smirked. It was not nice. Well, it was livable. It was home to him. He took her hand and smiled. His heart started racing. “C’mon,” he whispered like a child showing off a secret treasure.

A small smile played on Rangiku’s mouth and she followed Shuhei, taking in all the details of the building and area. “You grew up here?”

“Yep. I lived here until I graduated from high school, and a bit after jail,” he answered.

“Rich didn’t move your mom to a house?”

“No. He’s not a rich man, despite the name,” he chuckled. “He’s retired. Plus my mom wouldn’t let him. He might have moved in with her by now; who knows. Besides, I kind of think my mom wants to travel when she retires; saving money for that.”

Rangiku nodded. He talked like he worshiped his mother. She knew he loved her very much. She could see it from the pictures she had seen of the two together. “I’m kind of nervous. Can’t I just stay in the car and you can text me when it’s safe?”

“Pffft. Don’t be a wuss. She is a force of nature, but you are literally carrying the trump card. She has to love you.”

“She doesn’t, Shu. She can smile at me all day long. She probably hates me,” Rangiku replied. “I mean, you saw my own mother slam a door in my face.” God she had not thought this through when making the offer to him.

“My mother is all hot and no cold. She’d never slam a door in your face. She might get in your face, but she’d never shut you out. Not unless you killed me or something.”

Rangiku laughed. “I don’t look good in neon orange or stripes. Plus the whole blood thing. There’s not enough peroxide to clean it up. I’m lazy. I don’t even like cleaning.”

“...Does anyone?” He mused aloud, digging in his pocket for a key and opening a lobby door. “Still works,” he muttered, then led Rangiku down a long, carpeted hallway that smelled faintly of cigars and vacuum bags.

She couldn’t be judgemental. She had lived in a storage facility for a month. “Your mom seems to have done well for you and herself. She raised you to be a good man, Shu. I’m glad that she did.”

He smiled. “Thanks, um, here we are,” he said, stopping in front of a door that had a twig wreath with a Halloween ribbon wrapped around it. It had a wooden plaque painted in orange, purple and black glitter paint that read, “Have a Spooktacular Halloween!”, and under it was another wooden sign that said, “Shelly and Rich”.

“Apparently he  _ does _ live here now,” Shuhei grumbled before he knocked on the door.

“Well you don’t like him and your mom may not like me so I guess it evens out,” Rangiku said to him, trying to hide behind him.

“That’s not true. I like Rich just fine, and my Mom will love you, just—“ the door opened.

“My baby boy! My big rock star! Oh let me see how handsome you look without those stupid, awful tattoos!” the woman’s voice seemed to boom and fill the space around them, only stopping when her arms wrapped around Shuhei’s torso and her lips met his cheeks. After what seemed like a bit too long, she pushed her son out of the way and looked Rangiku up and down.

“And you must be the baby mama. The heartbreaker!” She grinned despite her words. “If I could have reached through that TV and pulled your hair out I would’ve! But look at you now!” She gasped and gestured with both hands to Ran’s belly. “Ohh so cute. Oh my grandchild is going to be so good looking!” She squealed after that and unceremoniously put her hands on Rangiku. After cooing over the bump for a minute she finally raised her eyes back to Ran’s. “I’m Shelly, by the way. I met you before at that bitch Momo’s house.” She wore a wide, happy grin as she looked at the young woman.

“Hi!” Rangiku squeaked out. She was scared of the woman and wanted to run. She wanted to dive back into the minivan and speed back to the airport. She didn’t relax as the woman ended her introduction. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Shuhei talks about you all the time.”

“Don’t stand on ceremony here, Princess. I know you’re scared of me. That’s okay!” she said, turning around and leading the way into the condominium. “Welcome to our humble abode. That’s Rich,” she said, pointing to the back of a balding head peeping out over the back of a Laz-E-Boy recliner.

The head waved silently, not turning around from the sports program it was focused on.

“So, Mom, when did Rich move in?” Shuhei asked quietly and then piped up, “Hi Rich!”

“After we got married, of course,” she said, as if the question was idiotic.

“AFTER YOU WHAT?!?” Shuhei shouted, his eyes wide with shock.

“Oh, calm down; you always make such a fuss, doesn’t he Princess?” Shelly addressed Rangiku.

“Sometimes,” she said, giving a giggle. “He can be dramatic, huh, Baby?”

He scowled at the blonde, then turned his attention back to his mother. His face looked almost pained. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked in a wounded voice.

“Aww, Peanut, I didn’t think it was a big deal! Rich and I have been together for almost ten years, and we didn’t have a wedding or anything, we just went down to the Courthouse with Carly from the salon and Rich’s sister, Barbara. After that we had lunch at Golden Corral. It was no big deal.”

“Maybe not to you…” Shuhei sighed. “It’s always been you and me,” he whispered after taking a step toward her.

“Well not anymore, it’s not. Now it’s me and you and Rich and  _ Ran _ ,” she said it like she was excited to get her name right, “and baby Colleen.”

Shuhei recoiled at that suggestion.

“Peanut?” Rangiku turned and looked at Shuhei. “Right now we’re just calling her Baby M. Shuhei wants her to have his last name. He hates all the names I like.”

“Well what names do you  _ like _ , Peanut? Oh, girl or boy? Do we know?” Shelly asked, looking between the two.

“Girl.” Rangiku smiled and looked at the woman. “I had picked out Violet Matsumoto but Violet or any name starting with a V sounds really weird with Hisagi.”

“Oooh, I should bring out his baby book; it had a list of all the names I was considering if Shu was a girl. His father only allowed one option for a boy,” she said, walking off toward a bedroom.

The blonde woman took Shuhei’s hand and squeezed it. “You okay?” she asked softly.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine…” he pouted.

Awww. Rangiku kissed his cheek and then let go of his hand. “She seems nice. And I can’t tell if she likes me or is plotting my murder.”

“She’s extremely straightforward. What you see is  _ exactly  _ what you get.”

“So she likes me?!” Rangiku beamed at him. Then a thought crossed her mind. What if Shuhei’s mom only liked her because she was a human incubator? That made her frown. Oh well if she did. Rangiku had broken her son’s heart.

Shelly came back out with what looked like an album, blowing dust off the surface. “You know, I think I dust your old room way more than I do. Are you two gonna stay there tonight? I mean, I know you’re not married or anything, but too little too late, right?” she pointed at Ran’s belly and cackled. 

“No, Shuhei and I both have rooms at the Marriott,” Rangiku responded, looking at his mother instead of him. “He can stay if he wants, but I’m not one to impose on people.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! We’re family now! What are we if we can’t roll out of bed with crazy hair and drink coffee in our jammies!” She shook her head. “You fancy people with your fancy money to throw around like crazy,” she glared at her son and set the album down. “You’d better at least stay for dinner, I’m making stroganoff.”

“Shu’s pretty responsible with his money,” Rangiku said with a smile. “For a while I was broke until I got my show. I try not to throw it around, but Shu and I aren’t really together, so it didn’t seem appropriate to get one hotel room. We are working on being friends.”

A single brow rose, cocked and high, accompanied by uncharacteristic silence. “Well, he’s still an idiot with money, constantly trying to make me take some of it,” the woman said quietly after a pause. “You two relax a bit; look through the book. I’m going to start dinner.

Rangiku took the book in her hands and opened it. She didn’t glance at Shuhei. She didn’t want to see what his face looked like upon hearing that they had their own hotel rooms. She had told him that he was free to stay at his mom’s house. It seemed like the woman missed him. She also didn’t want to see his reaction to her words about them not being together and working on being friends. It was the truth. That’s what he wanted. “Look at you,” she said pointing out a photo. “You were adorable.”

“Yeah,” he said absently. “I was little, anyway.” He turned his head towards the kitchen and said, “You could have at least told me after the fact; it’s a matter of practicality!”

Rich decided to give his two cents. “He’s right about that, Hon.”

Shelly scoffed. “Well whatever. You know now. Did you find my list?”

The blue-eyed woman had found the list. She picked it up, studying it carefully before spreading it out and taking a photo of it. “I can buy all the unicorn stuff,” she finally said, quietly. Rangiku said it more to herself than she said it to anyone else. She began to go through the list on her phone, adding Shelly’s list to hers. 

When she was done, Rangiku had eighteen names instead of the hundred she started with. She put her phone back into her purse and then continued to look through the book. Shuhei was a cute kid; adorable - and a tad bit rotten from the looks of it. In one picture he was young and covered in mud. Another photo showed him reading a book.

It made her wistful. Her parents didn’t have this kind of stuff for her. At least, nothing she was aware of. The conversation they had with her dad at the sushi place was basically her father grilling Shuhei and asking about the baby. Nothing meaningful was said other than what was said in the car. 

“I’m going to go lay down for a bit; I’m tired. You’re welcome to join me, Ran,” Shuhei said. He still sounded annoyed with his mom.

Rangiku looked at him before closing the book and setting it down on the table. She followed Shuhei. Something was wrong with him. Was the news of his mom’s marriage that important? “Shuhei?”

“Yeah?” he grumbled.

“Talk to me. Please.”

“Just a minute,” he said, opening a door down the dark hall and closing it after she entered. “What do you want to talk about?”

Rangiku frowned. “Something is wrong,” she said.

“Not really, it’s just…” He sighed heavily and sat down on a bed with a plaid bedspread. “She didn’t tell me.” He sounded bummed out.

“She probably thought you were busy or it wasn’t a big deal. It didn’t sound like going to a courthouse and then to some place to eat was a big deal. They’ve been together ten years? That’s practically married anyway,” she said.

“That’s not the point, Ran!” he whined pathetically. “I’m not bothered that she got married. I’m not bothered that I wasn’t there or even invited. She’s my best friend…” his voice wavered. “She didn’t even tell me.”

A sigh left Rangiku and she walked over to Shu and hugged him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I didn’t tell you, either. You’re mad because you were left out.”

“Yeah I’m still pissed about it,” he said with a chuckle. “But seriously, I can  _ kind of  _ understand you not saying anything. We were broken up. I’m her son. It’s different.”

She let him go and shook her head. “It sounds like you need to take it up with her and have a talk about it,” Rangiku said and turned towards the door. She had never seen Shuhei like this. It was a change from the behavior she was used to. “Take a nap. You’re cranky.” 

He narrowed his eyes at her. She was being totally unsupportive. And bitchy. “I’m not cranky, I’m sad, but thanks for playing,” he said coldly, holding the door open for her.

Rangiku rolled her eyes as she walked down the hall. She got her phone from her purse and sighed, finger hovering over the Uber app. No, she was not going to throw a fit like he was. Instead she walked to the kitchen with her hands on her hips. If Shuhei wouldn’t step up to his mother, Rangiku would. 

Byakuya said she was a self-assured woman. After August, that had changed. After February she had lost all confidence. “Shuhei is really bothered by the fact that you didn’t find it important to tell him that you got married. He’s been left out of a lot of decisions over the past year. He doesn’t have a lot of control over things. The least you could have done was sent a text. The most you could have done was FaceTime the wedding. Yeah, he’s busy, but he is your son. He says you’re his best friend. You know him the best. You should have known this would affect him.”

Shelly moved her eyes towards the pregnant woman and smirked. “I know. He’ll get over it. He just needs time to let it sink in,” she said in an assuring tone.

“But in the meantime, you’re not the one who has to deal with him. You’re in Ohio living your dream, I guess, and he’s out there busting his ass. Do you know why? It’s not for me or for this baby,” Rangiku stated. “Part of him wants to help you and you say he throws his money around like it’s no big deal. Part of him is singing for you. Not for me, but you. He misses you. It hurts him that you won’t come visit. I understand all about work, but take his feelings into account for a moment. All he has is a handful of friends and no one close by who he can turn to.”

“I know my son, missy. And you’ve had to deal with him for what, two weeks?” Shelly rolled her eyes. “I know he’s lonely and struggling. He needs to. It’s important. I’m not going to be here forever. He needs to learn to reach out more. He needs to—“ she coughed. She coughed hard and a lot. She couldn’t stop for a while. Finally the jag calmed down and her red face returned to normal. “I need him to build his own life.” he finally said.

The vlogger’s eyebrows furrowed and she scoffed. “You make it sound like you’re dying or something. You’re young still.”

Shelly didn’t say anything to that, but gave Rangiku a slightly judgmental glare. “Anyway, I’ll let Shu brood for a bit and then I’ll talk to him. He always needs time to process his feelings first.”

Rangiku nodded and then went to sit down on the couch. The Rich guy was watching some sports thing. She shook her head and looked at her phone. If she was going to be bored, might as well look at something else.

**Author's Note:**

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